A-G’s Call To Graduating Teachers: Promote Standard Of English
The Attorney-General and Minister for Education Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has called on the 31 graduates of Corpus Christi Teachers College to ensure that the standard of children’s English language was maintained. Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Kshatriya Hall in Suva, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the standard of English in Fiji was slowly deteriorating.
“Generally, we have seen a deterioration in the standard of English in Fiji.
“I urge you to be able to ensure that the standard of English is maintained. We have a very unique advantage in Fiji.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum explained that Fiji is an English speaking country and Fijians spoke the English language with a neutral accent. “We must continue to speak English well and teachers have a very important role in this.”
He said the graduates would be teaching in schools and education of course was the key to ensure that Fiji is a country that is focused in improving the sustainable livelihood of people.
The Minister for Education said Corpus Christi was based on the Catholic foundations of education and the graduates have to understand that they could leave a mark in a student’s life by the way they teach. He said teachers helped shape the thoughts of students and their progress to adulthood. Meanwhile, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum added that as human beings, people needed to understand that one’s ability to love and be compassionate towards a person’s ethnicity.
He said people should not depend on a person’s religion, socio-economic status or the province that they come from but what matters is that people are all taught that everyone was God’s children.
“As teachers, you need to be able to inculcate that belief, that sense in your students that will not only be able to develop them as good human beings but will also help you to develop as good educators.”