The Great Council of Chiefs has proposed that the Fijian vernacular be made compulsory in all schools amid concerns over the declining use of the language among children.
Great Council of Chiefs chair Ratu Viliame Seruvakula said there was growing concern that more children were becoming unable to read and write in the Fijian language.
“Nowadays, many children are reading the Bible in English. However, a growing number of our children are unable to read or write in the Fijian language,” he said.
Ratu Viliame said the proposal for compulsory Fijian language education was aimed at addressing what he described as the gradual decline of both language and traditional ways of life.
“We have proposed that Fijian vernacular be made compulsory in all schools because we are witnessing the gradual decline of people knowing how to read in iTaukei.”
He said language remained a key part of identity and cultural heritage, warning that the loss of language could weaken cultural connections for future generations.
“If our children do not learn their mother tongue, future generations may lose their connection to their history and traditions.”
He said teaching the Fijian language in schools would help preserve cultural values and traditional knowledge systems.
He said there was a need for collective responsibility in ensuring the survival of the language and customs.
