Fiji’s education system continues to show progress in terms of quality and curriculum in comparison with other Pacific countries.
This was highlighted by the Ministry of Education’s Acting Permanent Secretary Mrs Basundra Kumar at the opening of the National Seminar on Quality Teacher Development and Quality Learning.
Mrs Kumar outlined the Pacific Education Development Framework (PEDF) in 2009, which was drawn from the two global frameworks; Education for All (EFA) goals and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that Fiji has aligned itself with.
“This provides a holistic view, that is covering all sectors of education (ECE, Primary, Secondary and embraces TVET also but excludes higher education. With the focus on education and training, the PEDF provides a vision of a regiongrounded in peace, harmony, security and economic prosperity where people can lead free and worthwhile lives.
Mrs Kumar further said that Fiji has achieved over ninety percent in its EFA targets.
“The regional education and training agenda is based on the underlying imperative of quality education for all and ensuring access and equity in educational provision.
“There is clear evidence that Fiji has made the biggest progress in access to formal education when compared to the other Pacific Island countries,” Mrs. Kumar said.
Mrs Kumar said that as Fiji develops a framework for basic standards for teaching development through the seminar, the focus of the post 2015 Education Agenda will now “shift from equitable access to access with quality education.”
“Quality education is associated with learners, environment, process, content and outcomes. The mastery of cognitive skills and behavioral traits in learners is usually the measure of quality and a collective product of quality in environment, process, content and outcomes.”
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