Education summit

Aseri Radrodro, the newly appointed Education Minister deserves our hearty thanks for involving all the stakeholders in education.

For the first time teacher unions are feeling the part of the consultative process. Previously the unilateral imposition of policies was the norm.

Therefore, the announcement by the Education Minister that the education summit will be held in the first quarter of this year is a great relief.

He has moved quickly to remove a number of bottlenecks in the education system which were imposed to meet the international best standards.

The removal of the zoning system for schools is a huge relief for the parents who now have the choice to send their children to the school of their choice.

Those who have read the history of education in Fiji know that it was the faith-based organisations who built schools (primary and secondary) to meet their cultural and religious aspirations.

Their sacrifices and efforts must be appreciated. It is their effort that has made Fiji the most literate country in the Pacific today.

The teacher unions (Fiji Teachers Union & Fijian Teachers Association), Fiji Principals Association and Fiji Headteachers Association should take full advantage of this opportunity and make submissions without fear.

Minister Radrodro should work to make the teaching profession an attractive one by providing better salaries and working conditions to retain the services of productive teachers. If not, we will continue to suffer the brain drain problem in years to come.