Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar, has applauded the introduction of new programmes offered through the Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Humanities and Education.
Minister Akbar, while officiating at the launch this week, stressed the importance of formal education which is why it is one of the Fijian Government’s topmost priorities.
"While things like shelter, electricity, food, and hygiene have considerably improved the quality of Fijian lives, the one essential element that will help create better societies, and give us a sense of freedom, is education."
"Our children have access to free primary/secondary education and our youth have access to more affordable forms of tertiary education. What’s even better is that Fiji has an education system that is progressing rapidly – and the development of such unconventional and important programs at the tertiary level is a great example of that,” Minister Akbar stated.
The Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation emphasised how the Ministry’s services cut across all the socio-economic sectors in Fiji, which included supporting families without income support, children at risk with the ultimate need to empower women for greater value-adding to the nation, and to improve services to both disabled and older persons.
Minister Akbar commended FNU’s College of Humanities and Education for being proactive in offering diploma and degree programmes based on the priority areas of the Government as outlined in the five- and 20-Year National Development Plans.
The University launched new programmes in Sports Education & Exercise Science, Counselling, Special & Inclusive Education, in addition to the Department of Ethics and Governance new short course on ethics and anti-corruption.
The programmes are part of a formal request from the Fijian Government to FNU to provide proactive programmes that will transform Fiji into a knowledge-based society.