A mix-up in appointments has left two teachers acting as head of Nadi Special Education, prompting calls for urgent clarification from education authorities. Educator Sofia Matai told a regional symposium last week that she received an appointment letter to act as head of Nadi Special Education at the start of this year, only to find the previous acting head’s contract had not been revoked.
Matai raised the issue at the Lautoka, Nadi, Yasawa Head of School Symposium, saying the situation created immediate confusion at the school. “I was appointed to be the head of school at Nadi Special, and after a few weeks the person that was acting there received his letter to act again on the position,” she said. “So, my question is, we have two head of schools acting on the position and I seek clarification. I have been sending emails to the district office, and I have also been sending emails to HR, and we just need clarification on that.”
The matter has been acknowledged by the Ministry’s Director of Primary Education, Sanaila Nauga, who described the case as a serious human resources issue. Speaking at the same symposium, Nauga said issuing appointment letters is the remit of the establishment and workforce unit. “For the case of two head of schools again it’s an HR issue,” he said. “I am not here to do the blaming, but I am just sharing with you facts because appointing of two head of schools that is the responsibility of the establishment and workforce unit, they are the ones who are issuing the appointment letter.”
Nauga said the establishment and workforce unit will be updated on the situation and that the uncertainty must be resolved administratively. He warned those affected that acting appointments are temporary and can be revoked at any time, noting: “both of you are acting and we do not know who will be the one that will continue, and do not forget for acting it can be revoked at any time.”
Matai has indicated she has already reached out to both the district office and the human resources unit seeking a definitive answer but said no clear resolution had been provided at the time she spoke. The overlapping appointments leave staff, parents and stakeholders uncertain about who holds leadership authority at the special education centre, which serves children with specific learning needs in the Nadi area.
The incident highlights procedural weaknesses in how acting appointments are managed and communicated within the education system. Nauga’s attribution of responsibility to the establishment and workforce unit suggests the matter will now move through formal HR channels; however, no public timeframe for resolving who will remain in the role was announced at the symposium.
For now, both teachers continue in acting capacities while the ministry’s HR apparatus is expected to review and correct the appointment records. Matai and the wider school community are waiting for an official directive from the establishment and workforce unit to restore clarity of leadership at Nadi Special Education.
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