Un-ending Posturing in Fiji's Ministry of Education.

The decline in quality in Education and the trend of hollow excuses offered by Fiji Education Ministry is unacceptable and further highlights the flawed superiority complex, which is prevalent in civil servants who have forgotten their moral responsibilities.

Unfortunately the Fiji public are being short changed in Teachers; when the demand is sorely needed in rural schools. Strategic Planning has taken in a back seat in Ministry of Education due to arrogant attitudes, entrenched mindsets and incompetence at all levels in administration.

Fiji Times Editorial decries the status-quo in the quality of Education.

Hire more teachers
(Saturday, January 21, 2006)
QUALITY education is a vital component in ensuring a secure future for Fiji. It is the most basic necessity after food, clothing, and shelter and, more importantly, it is the life-line that can lift people out of poverty.

This point could not have been better expressed when the former US President Lyndon Johnson, during the War on Poverty in the 1960s, said: "Poverty has many roots, but the tap root is ignorance."

Thus it came as no surprise when the Government announced last year that it had once again increased its budgetary allocation for education. Consequently, $301million has been set aside for education - the sector hailed as the cornerstone of the Government's scheme for greater prosperity for Fiji.

The increase is justified because statistics for the last five years has shown that the number of students enrolled each year, at primary and secondary level, are increasing and so is the demand for teachers.

Sadly though, it appears that someone in Government's corridors does not see the logic in increasing the number of teaching posts. Someone has failed to recognise that in order to ensure quality education, one must ensure that there is a reasonable teacher:student ratio.

Given the increase in student numbers it simply corresponds that one needs to hire more teachers.

Instead, hundreds of students are suffering in class because of being deprived of the reasonable attention that they rightly deserve, despite there being many qualified people who could easily ease the situation if allowed to do so.

Why then are hundreds of teachers, standing in queues outside Marela House? Many of these graduates even profess to have not secured employment despite pursuit of a job since graduating three years ago.

This is unfair to say the least. Hundreds of youths each year are lured into training for one of the most honorable professions and yet only an average of 80 jobs are available annually.

The Education Ministry needs to explain to the nation why this is so instead of blackmailing graduates not to talk to the media.

The situation though gives rise to the question of whether we are really investing enough in this sector? Where are the extra millions going? The distribution of the education fund leaves much to be desired.

While the Government must be credited for its enlightenment in increasing the education budget, it is obvious that much more needs to be done and chief among them is the need to recruit more teachers.

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