Children of Vanuabalavu island schools learned ways to be good students from the Ministry of Education permanent secretary, Dr Brij Lal.
In focusing on the attitude of students towards school life, Dr Lal emphasised five basic disciplines in the life of a student which are: Coming to school everyday; listening to teachers; asking teachers questions; keeping clean and respect everyone.
Dr Lal said not all students attended school everyday for various reasons, but the Government was paying tuition fees, transport and textbooks to ensure all children attended classes everyday.
While at school, many children do not listen to teachers’ instructions and many more do not seek clarifications on what is being taught by asking teachers questions. On the other hand most teachers take students’ lack of inquisition as sign of comprehension, which is a false impression they need to break.
Teachers must know that students when keeping quite would either mean they are afraid to show their ignorance or they do not understand at all.
On the issue of cleanliness, Dr Lal stressed the importance of having healthy classrooms, neat exercise books and clean toilets something many school administrations need to impress on students.
Speaking on ‘respect’, he emphasised children to respect not only teachers and elders but their learning environment and their peers. School vandalism and bullying are two problems in Fiji schools.
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