‘Govt Manages Programmes Equitably to Reduce Gaps’
Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said yesterday if Government programmes were not managed equitably, these could deepen gaps in opportunity.
He was speaking at the 2017 Pacific Early Childhood Development Conference at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, on Denarau.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said when service was only available to a select few, these programmes could grant advantages that perpetuated socio-economic divides. “We won’t allow that to be the case for Fiji. We won’t allow opportunities to go only to those who can afford it.
“We will work to ensure that every Fijian can enrol their children in programmes that prepare them for the next level of education, and prepare them to one day carry Fiji into the future. “Under the leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister, equitable access to all services is the cornerstone of our domestic agenda.”
He said that commitment extended to early childhood education.
“The Pacific Call to Action on Early Childhood Development has set the pace for accelerating action on early childhood development throughout the region.” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said this recognised that a robust and comprehensive early childhood care and education was critical to affording the next generation new levels of opportunity which their own parents may well have been denied. While thanking UNICEF, the World Bank and the Pacific Regional Council, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said everyone could be proud of the recommendations outlined that have been put forward to the region.
“And, as is so often the benefit of our regional engagement, those recommendations are tailored to the realities we all face as Pacific Island Countries – realities unique to the part of the world we call home.
“This conference has been a historic gathering, as it marks the first time we’ve brought together such a wide-range of experts and policy makers to discuss Early Childhood Development in the Pacific.
“The range of perspectives we’ve brought to the table has had a profound impact on the quality and the scope of your discussions and it’s given us all a much clearer picture of the progress our region has made in Early Childhood Development and of the work that remains undone.”
“When we look at the development of our children, particularly in the earliest stages of their lives, our ultimate goal is to establish a foundation to prepare them for their journeys through education, and eventually, for the challenges of young adulthood.”
He said these journeys would be impacted by every aspect our national life and every facet of development.
“So I’m very glad your discussions have reached across ministerial and sectoral lines, to incorporate the vast array of factors that shape the care and education of our children.
“As we all know, it isn’t just investments in education or in social services that shape outcomes from our young children or from the students they will grow to become. Outcomes aren’t determined solely by what happens in the classroom, they are determined by the entirety of the work we do to build better and smarter societies.
“When children see their parents do well, find better jobs and realise new opportunities, they feel inspired to succeed in their own endeavours. When they see their communities grow and develop all around them, they feel empowered and secure. And when they see their nation rise up, overcome challenges and become more prosperous, they feel motivated to one day carry their country to even greater heights.”
He said he was glad to see such a comprehensive approach reflected in the strategies the participants had put forward. “Your work and contributions over these past three days have moved forward our collective agenda to steadily realise the Sustainable Development Goals that relate to the development of our children.” He said while he expected all Government represented at the conference would carry out the recommendations, the Fiji Government would take those recommendations seriously. “Because we know that the care and education of our youngest Fijians will have a profound impact on the future direction and success of our country.”
“We know that just as you must a build a strong home on a solid foundation, so must we build strong citizens.”