In 1985 the Ministry of Education provisionally selected 200 youths to start off its Volunteer Service Scheme (VSS).
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on January 5 that year, Secretary for Education Narsi Raniga said the provisional list was drawn up from 450 applications.
The ministry interviewed those selected who later attended an orientation program before they were dispatched to their allocated jobs.
The first orientation program began in Suva at the Nasinu Residential College, while others were held at Lautoka and Labasa.
About 60 of the 100 students selected from the Southern zone had already been interviewed at the Education Ministry headquarters on Selbourne St in Suva.
The Suva interviews were conducted by the acting Deputy Secretary for Education, Shiu Prasad, and the Director of Youth and Sports, Inoke Tabualevu.
Mr Raniga, with the assistance of Chief Education Officer-Secondary Taufa Vakatale and the Divisional Education Officer, Paula Cavu, was expected to interview the 75 candidates selected from the West in Lautoka.
Some 40 candidates were already selected from Labasa. These interviews were conducted by the acting Chief Education Officer Primary, Ambika Prasad, and the Divisional Education Officer, Nete Logavatu.
Mr Raniga said the volunteers took up teaching positions ranging from teaching English, maths and science, to the teaching of multi-craft subjects such as industrial arts, home economics and carpentry.
Asked for the ministry’s reaction to threats from the teachers’ union to pull their members out of school where volunteers were hired, Mr Raniga said, “As far as I am concerned, the Government has made a decision on the Community Volunteer Scheme, and I am merely implementing the Government’s policy”.
“I reiterate that the volunteers will be taking up positions in primary and secondary schools,” he said.
The majority of the volunteers took up their positions from January 28, the start of the ’85 school year.
Those who accepted needed to sign a letter of appointment agreeing to the terms and conditions of work set out by the ministry.
The article stated they agreed to a taxable salary of $3000 for the year, paid fortnightly and were required to contribute to the Fiji National Provident Fund, with the Government meeting its share of the contribution.
In return, the Government offered a grant-in-aid position to those who satisfactorily complete two years of voluntary service.
It offered free accommodation to volunteers where necessary.
The volunteers would be subject to the terms and conditions of service normally applicable to the teaching service.
They had to give a month’s notice if they wanted to terminate their service.
