Radrodro: We must be honest with ourselves
EDUCATION Minister Aseri Radrodro says that far too many times, injustice prevails in the way processes are conducted, especially those that involve teachers.
In delivering his keynote address at a recent new appointments celebration hosted by the Fiji Teachers Confederation, the minister shared that lack of consultations had brought about an unfair and nontransparent processes in the education system.
“This has really questioned the validity of the open merit recruit and section (OMRS) guideline that is currently being used for appointment,” Mr Radrodro said.
“We must be honest with ourselves in regards to the education system in Fiji.
“Currently, the Ministry of Education is following two separate structures where it is continuing with a bit of the old one and has adopted some from the new.”
For this reason, the minister indicated that a team from the ministry was already looking at reorganising the organisational structure to ensure efficient support service to schools.
He also informed stakeholders that concerns had been raised on the inconsistencies in processing leadership positions in schools.
Mr Radrodro said teachers who served in leadership positions were denied promotion under the OMRS guideline and replaced by those with less leadership experience.
“Moving forward, I wish to have more discussions with union reps as well as relevant stakeholders to effectively and fairly address issues as such.
“There needs to be more weighting and emphasis on experience as the positions require proven performance in leadership position and expertise to lead schools and students successfully. Qualification is great, but practical experiences give you a better understanding of the school environment.”