Investment in Education Helps to Keep Hope for our Children Alive
If there is one thing that keeps the hopes of our children’s future alive during this COVID-19 crisis; it is the continuing investment in education.
Shaniyah Azmi Nisha is one of the beneficiaries of this investment through the Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (TELS).
The 22-year-old immigration inspector took time off work to study and scooped four gold medals in the recent University of Fiji graduation.
She is one of the thousands of Fijian recipients of TELS who have received qualifications and gone on to secure reasonably paid employment or start their own businesses. In Ms Nisha’s case, her new qualifications will help her in her professional development and promotion at work.
In the National Toppers Scheme, Bachelor of Medicine graduate Dr Roneel Rohendra Kumar would not be a doctor without the Toppers scholarship.
Ms Nisha and Dr Kumar proved that anyone, irrespective of their background, can access TELS and Toppers if they meet the requirements and standards set.
Both were raised in humble homes, Ms Nisha in Nadi and Dr Kumar in Macuata. They displayed similar qualities on their road to success - hard work, sacrifice with the support of their parents.
Investment
The education investment runs into millions of dollars. The Government spends on average almost 20 per cent of the total of its expenditure on Education. This represents more than six per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
GDP is the standard measure of the value added created through the production of goods and services in a country during a certain period. As such, it also measures the income earned from that production, or the total amount spent on final goods and services (less imports).
Fiji on average has been spending about $700m annually on education. This includes payment of teachers wages and salary (approx $340m), free education (approx $60m), transport assistance (over $20m), operating grant for tertiary institutions (over $70m) and funding through TELS and Toppers (approx $130m).
Despite the fiscal challenges the country has ensured that the education sector spending is not affected.
This is a wise move because we are investing into our children’s future. Teachers continue to be paid despite calls for a pay cut because schools were closed at the height of the pandemic.
On TELS students owe Government around $600m and the figure is likely to climb as student enrolment increases.
Breakdown of TELS spending
A breakdown of TELS spending on tuition and accomodation is has follows:
■ 2018/19 - $101m
■ 2019/20 - $ 109m
■ 2020/21 - $67m
■ 2021/22 - $114m (Budget).
Note that there has been an increase for the current financial year.
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar, says funding every school leaver to go to University will cost about $200m annually.
SODELPA is proposing to write off $600m in TELS debt and pay $200m annually on funding tertiary students. This is UNSUSTAINABLE.
On one hand they say that Government debt is high and then again propose unsustainable/populist policies that will cost Government hundreds of millions of dollars.
SODELPA lacks creativity. We only hear what changes they will make to the current policies without any cost analysis.
Politics aside, the fact is the cost of education is bound to increase. At the moment the current system is working nicely and many Fijians are benefitting like Ms Nisha and Dr Kumar.
Fiji on average has been spending about $700m annually on education. This includes payment of teachers wages and salary (approx $340m), free education (approx $60m), transport assistance (over $20m), operating grant for tertiary institutions (over $70m) and funding through TELS and Toppers (approx $130m).