School terms

Aseri Radrodro, the new Minister for Education, in consultation with the stakeholders, has retained three school terms.

School managements and teachers have generally supported this idea. So do I! Premila Kumar, the former Minister for Education, has labelled this move as “regressive”. She had planned to introduce four school terms this year.

Her rationale was that it would bring in efficiency and was in keeping with the best international practices. We have copied many practices in education from Australia and New Zealand without considering the socioeconomic background and school conditions of Fiji.

Fijian schools do not have the same level of resources and quality of teachers to sustain these changes.

For example, the former minister never paid attention to the class sizes, employment conditions and salaries of teachers in Fiji. Our teachers are poorly paid and overworked in over-sized classes.

Teachers suffer from exhaustion and stress too. This is the reason why many teachers resign and migrate to Australia, New Zealand, the United States or Canada.

Thus, brain drain is a serious problem in the education sector. Paying lip service will not help.

Ms Kumar also claims that the four school terms were to coincide with New Zealand and Australia school holidays to help our tourism industry. I do not see the logic when problems in the education sector need to be tackled first.

Ms Kumar was perhaps the best Education Minister compared to the five others who had served.

She was a dynamic person and did much to revitalise the education ministry. However, her hands were tied with constant interference from the top.

Let’s hope and pray that the improving conditions will revitalise the energy of teachers and they will uplift their performance.

We still have a long way to go!.