Deputy Secretary for Education, Mr Saimoni Waibuta addressing the Northern Teachers Confederation at the FTU Hall in Labasa.
The Teachers Confederation in the Northern Division convened at the Fiji Teachers Union Hall in Labasa recently to discuss the issue of quality education.
This is a global movement organised by the two teachers’ unions (Fiji Teachers Union and Fijian Teachers Association) on the Post 2015 agenda for the ‘Education for All’ (EFA) goals.
Deputy secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Saimoni Waibuta was one of the guest speakers at the meeting to highlight the current status of the Ministry of Education pertaining to the achievement of the EFA goals.
Mr Waibuta said that EFA is a global initiative led by UNESCO aimed at meeting the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015 and this augurs well with Pillar 9 of the People’s Charter, which is to make Fiji a knowledge based society.
“With compulsory education made accessible to all school-aged children in Fiji, the Ministry of Education is on target to accomplish universal primary education and at the same time, ensuring that quality and inclusive education for all are achieved conclusively. From 2000 to 2013, gross enrolment rate for primary school students from Years 1 – 6 is above 100 per cent. I can proudly say that Fiji has successfully achieved EFA goal 2 – ‘the provision of free and compulsory education for all’,” Mr Waibuta said.
He reminded the teachers that quality education for students in Fiji can only be achieved through the combined and concerted efforts of Government, the Education Ministry, parents, school communities, school owners, teachers, the Fiji Teachers Union, the Fiji Teachers Association and other relevant stakeholders.
MINFO