The Minister for Education, Mr Filipe Bole, is pleased to announce that Fiji has achieved 100 percent universal primary education. The achievement means Fiji has met its Millennium Development Goal target well before 2015, with many students now accessible to education.
Education is the second of eight MDG goals contained in the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration. Fiji, was one of 189 nations that adopted the UN challenge in September 2000.
Over the years, Fiji’s education system has faced a retention problem whereby many children enrolling in class one dropped out before reaching class seven. Many more drop outs occurred as students progressed to upper classes.
In 1990, 92 percent of six-year-olds were enrolled in primary schools and only 44 percent enrolled at secondary level. By 2008 the figures changed. Enrolments in both levels increased: primary enrolment increased to 96 percent while secondary school enrolment increased to 79 percent.
The net enrolment rate of males compared to female shows that male enrolment in primary school increased from 94.9 percent in 2000 to 95.3 percent in 2008. Female enrolment on the other hand increased from 94.6 percent to 96.3 percent in the same period.
At secondary level, male enrolment increased from 67.7 percent in 2000 to 74.1 percent in 2008, while female enrolment increased to 84.4 percent from 74.4 percent in the same period.
The figures will continue to improve as strong and effective education policies are being put in place by the Ministry of Education. One of them is the abolition of external examinations first at class six level last year and this year. The Fiji Eighth Year examination for class eight will also phase out. This ensures pupils progress to upper classes without dropping out early as was the experience due to examinations.
To replace examinations, the Ministry of Education is designing Classroom Based Assessments to be continuously implemented.
Education costs also contribute to school dropouts, but in 2009 Government implemented the free-transport policy for school children in an attempt to reduce financial burdens on parents. Similarly, the state has also made available free textbooks and tuition fees for both primary and secondary education.
In its effort to acquire quality education, Government established the Teachers Registration Board (TRB) to ensure that teachers in Fiji are well qualified and of good character befitting the status of a teacher.
Furthermore, the two teacher training institutions, Lautoka Teachers College and the Fiji College of Advanced Education are now part of the newly established Fiji National University (FNU). Teachers graduating from FNU will be university graduates with diplomas and degrees in teaching whether it be in early childhood education, primary education or secondary education.
Mr Bole said that, alone, is an assurance the state is providing quality education for the people of Fiji, and is totally committed to pursuing other avenues to provide additional free education services.
It is envisaged that before 2015, education in Fiji will be accessible, quality driven and totally free.
Mr Filipe Bole, Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts, Youth and Sports, Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment.