Education matters

Christopher Griffin, Perth, Australia

My ‘Constructive Education Criticism’ letter (FS 17/3) upset Tukai Lagonilakeba (FS 21/3) whose praise for the Ministry of Education (FS 14/3), blithely ignored ministry shortcomings (FS 21/3), some of which I listed (FS 17/3).

In reply Mr Lagonilakeba’s letter (FS21/3) defies logic, ignores my facts, and resorts to innuendo.

Mr Lagonilakeba says I should not compare education in Fiji with education in Australia or - presumably anywhere else. I say, why not? Providing one’s intent in comparing is not to belittle, comparison provides a form of measurement. As does benchmarking against international ‘best practices’. Mr Lagonilakeba contradicts himself. He says the time is coming when education standards in Fiji are on “equal level and footings with other developed countries” - a comparison in itself; he then qualifies that forecast with ‘in our own good Fiji Time’. I know where he is coming from. Fijians like other Pacific Islanders are very wary of being proffered models of development felt alien and condescending - yet the truth is globalisation has caused us to rethink time and space. Take Climate Change. Here acting according to ‘Fiji Time’ would be foolish.

Action is required today, not tomorrow. Education is no different.

Blaming educational “woes” on Fiji’s colonial past and previous Fijian governments won’t help either.

The charge is valid, but it is time to move on. When it comes to action, the catch call “Fiji Time” hinders more than it helps. Indeed without a highly educated workforce, open to critical thinking, the issues of Climate Change will only worsen. Mr Lagonilakeba seems to think I believe Fiji’s education problems rest with non-Fijian people, even though I said otherwise.

I certainly think there are lessons to be learnt about teaching and learning theory, best practice teacher training, curriculum design, and administrative expertise from bodies outside of Fiji, but I also stressed the importance of Fijian and other Islander education ‘experts’ overseas.

The core aim should be to turn out high quality teachers and then retain them. That’s not just my opinion. It is the view of Dr Priscilla Puamau (2007) whose paper would be known to the ministry. Mr Lagonilakeba admonishes me for suggesting we stop teachers from having to retire at 55.

He tells me to pipe down. But why should a Fijian citizen who spent a life in higher education, made his family home in Rakiraki, and saw his child through Fiji’s education system not advocate change?

Why, pray, such censoriousness? It hardly strikes a good chord for the future of schooling and education.

Why such hyper-defensiveness? What’s the back story?