The Ministry of Education’s announcement on December 12, 2009 to provide free textbooks for all students is making good progress, as it begins with primary schools in the Eastern Division- Lau, Lomaiviti and Kadavu.
To date, all 29 Primary schools in Kadavu have been issued with books and so are the primary schools in Rotuma.
The Divisional Education Office, Eastern this afternoon, confirmed that textbooks for Doi District, Onolevu, Fulaga, Matuatabu, and Namuka District School will delivered tonight on board the MV Iloilovatu to Lau.
This initiative is expected to be completed by 2011 for all primary schools while secondary schools should be enjoying the free textbook assistance beginning in 2012.
Improving student access to education at all levels has been a priority for the Ministry of Education.
Part of the efforts to improve access is the reduction of the costs of education especially to the parents of low socio-economic status and those living under difficult circumstances.
The Ministry views this assistance to bring another sigh of relief for parents as they can now concentrate on other items such as student lunches, uniforms and school stationery.
It is part of the Ministry’s overall strategies to bring greater effectiveness to its reforms of providing all children in Fiji with 12 years of basic education.
The whole exercise is geared towards the direction of providing free education for all students.
Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts, Youth and Sports, Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment, Mr Filipe Bole