Kiran: Fiji has low literacy level

FIJI has a low literacy level, says Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran.

Officiating at the inaugural Brighter Minds literacy and numeracy training for Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers in Lautoka recently, Ms Kiran urged participants to use the opportunity well as they would be transforming students.

Brighter Minds is a training methodology designed to catalyse cognitive growth for children between the ages of five and 15 for a lifetime of learning based on the science of neuroplasticity.

“Especially children who have poor literacy and numeracy skills,” Ms Kiran said.

“We have children who have lost focus and not able to educate and discipline them.

“And because the program is expensive, there are people who have put this training together and I hope you will utilise it and transform our children.

“You are the ones that can mould children at a young age and the potential is endless because every child will go through your hands.

“You will not only think of it as another workshop that you have been given permission from the Ministry of Education to make it happen but this is a transformative workshop where you will be given tools that can really open the potential of our children.”

Ms Kiran said the training had been rolled out for the past 10 years around the world and because of its high cost, plans were being made “to have it sponsored in bringing it to Fiji, and we are hoping as many ECE teachers would be able to help our children to grow”.

The four-day training was sponsored by the Heartfulness Education Trust based in Hyderabad, India and co-hosted by the Gujarat Education Society of Lautoka, Ministry of Education, USP Lautoka campus and FRIEND Fiji.