The General Secretary of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA), Paula Manumanunitoga, is calling for immediate action from the Public Service Commission (PSC). He expressed concern that three schools in the North—Valelawa Primary School, Yadua Village School, and Laucala District School—are facing long-standing issues with their classroom buildings that have yet to be resolved.
Mr. Manumanunitoga noted that some students are still attending classes in tents, highlighting the urgent need for intervention as both students and teachers are suffering due to these conditions. He urged that if these matters remain unaddressed, accountability should rest with the Minister for Education and his Permanent Secretary, who must find a timely solution.
Emphasizing the importance of political will in the education sector, he stressed that it is the duty of the Minister to ensure that directives are followed by the Permanent Secretary.
Additionally, Mr. Manumanunitoga called for enhanced cooperation between the Minister’s office and the Permanent Secretary, pointing out that unresolved differences between the two have adversely affected the education system. The challenges include delays in the free education grant, the acting appointments and contracts for teachers and support staff, teacher shortages, and pending salary upgrades.
An inquiry sent to Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro and Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca on October 2 regarding the situation at Valelawa Primary School, where classes for grades three to six are held in two recycled tents, has yet to receive a response.