Fiji Education Minister Urges Principals to Partner with Stakeholders Amid Dropout Crisis

Fiji's Assistant Education Minister Iliesa Vanawalu emphasized the importance of principals leading partnerships with parents, families, and other stakeholders in education at the 129th Fiji Principals Association conference and AGM in Suva. Vanawalu stressed the need for principals to support teachers in being passionate about educating Fiji's future leaders and encouraged them to work closely with parents and stakeholders to empower teachers and students towards sustainable growth in the education sector.

The minister's call for partnerships comes amid a concerning educational crisis in Fiji, with a recent Education Staff Appointment report revealing that 39% of 90,000 students dropped out between Years 8 and 12 in the past few years. Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca attributed the dropout crisis to a widening learning gap between rural and urban students, caused by higher poverty rates in rural communities. "Some of the children, particularly the males, went into farming as a way of helping their family members because the income was no longer available due to COVID or unemployment. So when they stayed home, they then chose not to return to school when school reopened," Kuruleca explained.

Why this matters: The dropout crisis in Fiji has far-reaching implications for the country's future workforce and economic development, as well as its ability to address social and environmental challenges. If left unaddressed, it could lead to a shortage of skilled workers and perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality.

The dropout crisis has disproportionately affected more boys than girls, with i-Taukei students living in rural and maritime areas being hit the hardest. In addition to poverty, COVID-19, and unemployment, social issues such as family problems and lack of proper parenting have also been identified as contributing factors. "Now parents tend to be to miss their focus or lose their focus on parenting. And they would focus on other things like church or cultural obligations, which are really the contributing factors to students not being children, their children not being supervised at home, and children not concentrating in their studies," said the Fijian Teachers Association General Secretary.

To address the crisis, the Education Ministry is working on introducing 13 vocational centers around the country to provide students with options to upskill themselves and make a difference in their communities. Fiji Teachers Union President Muniappa Gounder also called on the government and ministry to finance schools in maritime and remote rural areas to ensure they have the resources to provide the best education to children.

As Fiji grapples with a significant dropout crisis, Assistant Education Minister Vanawalu's emphasis on partnerships between principals, parents, and stakeholders aims to empower teachers and students towards sustainable growth in the education sector. With the introduction of vocational centers and calls for increased funding for rural schools, the ministry hopes to bridge the learning gap and provide opportunities for all students to succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Fiji's Assistant Education Minister emphasizes partnerships between principals, parents, and stakeholders to improve education.
• 39% of 90,000 students in Fiji dropped out between Years 8 and 12 due to poverty, COVID-19, and unemployment.
• Dropout crisis disproportionately affects boys, i-Taukei students, and rural areas, perpetuating poverty and inequality.
• Education Ministry introduces 13 vocational centers to provide upskilling options for students.
• Fiji Teachers Union calls for increased funding for rural schools to bridge the learning gap.