Opposition parliamentarian Hem Chand has expressed his astonishment at Education Minister Aseri Radrodro’s disclosure that more than 1,000 students have left primary school over the past five years. During a recent parliamentary session, Mr. Chand inquired about the Ministry’s efforts to identify students who felt compelled to drop out and their plans to support these children.
He also questioned Mr. Radrodro on the number of students who had dropped out of school before completing primary education and Year 10 from 2019 to 2023. Mr. Chand stated that it is “absolutely shocking” that more than 1,000 students have withdrawn from school before finishing Year 8, despite the free education initiative initiated by the Bainimarama government in 2014.
Since the implementation of the Free Education Grant a decade ago, the government has reportedly invested approximately $650 million into 738 primary schools, 176 secondary schools, and over 870 early childhood education institutions. Mr. Chand asserted that this grant has alleviated the financial burden on parents, students, teachers, and school management.
He emphasized that children represent Fiji’s future and stressed the importance of ensuring that all children receive an education. Mr. Chand warned that if the Coalition government does not tackle the dropout problem, there will likely be an increase in youth-related crimes.
He pointed out that many teenagers, who should be attending school, are instead seen on the streets of Lautoka City soliciting money, while their peers are in class. Additionally, he raised concerns about the ongoing drug issues, noting that students have been discovered with drugs, and such substances have been found on school premises.
Mr. Chand criticized the Coalition Government for merely proposing plans without taking significant action to address the dropout crisis and the accompanying issues.