The Ministry of Education will begin computer education in primary schools in Term Three of 2012.
The Education Minister, Mr Filipe Bole said computer education would begin in stages at primary school level by next year in Term Three.
“This is after the prescribed text books by the Curriculum Development Unit are produced and teachers trained,” Mr Bole said.
“In most schools there are teachers who are computer literate and can teach basic computing since they had computer training while at the teacher training institutions. The only additional training they may need is training on the prescription and training on computer maintenance.”
Computer studies began in the 1980s with subjects offered at the Form 5 and 6 level leading to Fiji School Leaving Certificate Examination (FSLCE) and at the Form 7 level for Fiji Seventh Form Examination (FSFE).
The only other course in Forms 3 & 4 that offers computing as a core component is the Office Technology course, which was called Secretarial Studies.
Mr Bole said the new direction taken by the Ministry of Education was part of their effort to steer the education system towards making Fiji a knowledge-based society.
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