New government figures laid bare this week show Fiji’s education system is facing a deepening crisis that begins long before many children enter the classroom. Education Minister Aseri Radrodro told a high‑level stakeholder meeting under the Tertiary Education Loan Service’s “No Learner Left Behind” initiative that roughly 13,000 young people — about 28 per cent of those of upper secondary age — are currently out of school. Between Year 8 and Year 12, the dropout rate stands at 39 per cent, and 23.7 per cent of 15‑ to 24‑year‑olds are neither in education, employment nor training (NEET).
Radrodro warned that the scale of disengagement increases the risk of social harm and underlined the urgency of policy responses. The figures were presented alongside submissions to the Constitution Review Committee and discussed at stakeholder meetings earlier this year, providing the most detailed public snapshot so far of how many Fijian youths have slipped out of the schooling system and the points at which they do so.
Speakers at the consultations repeatedly pointed to early childhood as the critical but underfunded foundation of later learning. Fiji National University vice‑chancellor and CRC member Professor Unaisi Nabobo‑Baba stressed that “between 0 and 8, the IQ of everybody is made, almost,” and warned the country starts interventions too late. She urged attention to nutrition and early stimulation, saying “every child needs to eat properly, that is basic to intelligence,” and cited Japan as an example of a country that prioritises investment in the 0–5 age bracket.
Government officials acknowledged a sharp imbalance in how public funding is distributed across the education pipeline. Deputy Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Timoci Bure said the Free Education Grant supports schools on a per‑student basis but noted early childhood education receives only about $50 per child per term. That compares with roughly $156 per child at primary level and between $300 and $400 per child at secondary level, figures officials say contribute to persistent literacy and numeracy challenges that originate before formal schooling.
Access problems compound funding shortfalls. Officials described cases where young children must travel “across seas” to reach early learning centres, a situation that contradicts the developmental ideal of children being close to home and family during their formative years. The ministry also acknowledged teacher shortages and a widening gap between constitutional obligations under the 2013 Constitution and what current programmes and budgets can realistically deliver.
The structure of the system itself was questioned at the meetings. Despite a labour market where nearly 80 per cent of employment opportunities lie in technical and vocational fields, speakers said TVET remains under‑prioritised. “No one really cares for TVET, it is still given lip service,” Bure said, warning of an impending skills gap if pathways outside the academic stream are not expanded and adequately funded.
These disclosures mark a new phase in public debate about education in Fiji by quantifying youth disengagement and highlighting where policy and spending fail to match developmental needs. With the Constitution Review Committee and education stakeholders now focused on early childhood investment, funding realignment and stronger support for TVET have emerged as the clearest points of contention — and the likely focus for any forthcoming policy responses aimed at reversing rising dropout rates and the growing cohort of disengaged youth.
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