Fiji is expected to see significant benefits from the government’s investment in quality education and research degrees within four years, according to Education Minister Aseri Radrodro. During a recent Ministerial statement in Parliament, he discussed insights gained from a visit by a Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) delegation to Australia, where sponsored students expressed the need for a review of the education curriculum.
Radrodro emphasized the importance of facilitating a smooth transition from secondary school to university, particularly in subjects like mathematics, physics, and computer science. He noted the substantial difference between the curriculum taught in Year 13 in Fiji and the material covered at Australian and New Zealand universities.
The minister highlighted the Coalition Government’s commitment to education and outlined plans for increasing scholarship quotas at the undergraduate level and introducing new scholarship schemes, aiming to enable more Fijian citizens to pursue quality education abroad.
He acknowledged the Australian Awards Scholarships offered to Fijians but pointed out the lack of monitoring regarding how long graduates return to serve in Fiji after completing their studies. To address this, discussions with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra focused on the potential for students on these scholarships to be bonded by the Fijian government through TSLS. This bond would require graduates to serve a minimum of five years in Fiji before being released from the agreement.
Radrodro also noted that Fiji has experienced a loss of approximately 2.5 percent of its population due to permanent and circular migration, with Australia being a favored destination for many. He acknowledged the challenges faced by the government in investing in skill development to address workforce gaps amidst competing national priorities.