PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama would have shrugged aside any inhibitions when he spoke about education in his address before the start of the new school term.
To students preparing for the start of the term, he said, “I want each of you to know that we, your parents, your grandparents, guardians and friends are all rooting for your success”.
Mr Bainimarama said any dream, whether big or small, began with education.
“We believe in you, we want you to do well, and we’re here to support you in every way we can so that you can perform to the best of your abilities,” he said.
“As students, when you take responsibility for your education, you give yourself the opportunity to become the Fijians you want to be. The type of Fijians your family, friends and community can count on, and that our nation needs if we are to build on all of our great progress.”
Every student, he said, must have the foundation of support for their education and that every Fijian and every family must put their children’s education first.
Education has to a large extent, attracted a lot of attention from the State.
From 2014, we’ve had funds churned into this important segment of our country.
Is education all about going to school, studying hard and attaining good marks in exams?
Or is it about discovering new things, and learning to appreciate issues around us?
How about embracing the ability to differentiate right from wrong?
Surely education will empower Fijians.
It will enable us to make a difference in many ways, starting from within.
A roll-on effect is the empowerment of Fijians to contribute positively to the growth of the nation.
The PM makes no bones about the fact that the State places education on a very high platform.
This is encouraging.
It is a welcome shift in lines of thought.
The question though is whether we are embracing this shift?
Are we doing all that we must do to maximise on this move by the State?
It gets interesting if one takes into account that education could be even more than just setting people up for jobs later in life.
Shouldn’t it include empowering people to be better in what they do, or to empower people to have the courage to pursue their dreams, and have the confidence to make a difference in their lives?
There are, understandably, other important ingredients that must go hand in hand with knowledge, allowing or opening up opportunities to expand on this positive emphasis on education.
The onus is on parents and guardians to take the next step to help our children discover their potential and set them up for life.
