THE Ministry of Education must go beyond advocating for the right to education and take concrete steps to enforce it.
Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) president Netani Druavesi said this in response to growing concerns over the number of school dropouts across the country.
He highlighted that school dropouts were occurring as early as Year 4 and Year 5, with some children seen roaming the streets during school hours.
He stressed the need for early intervention to bring these children back into the education system.
“The right to education that we have for our children, the ministry needs to go around, ‘get them back’, and get them back to the education system,” he said.
Mr Druavesi said while schools played a crucial role, parental involvement and discipline at home were key to addressing the root causes of absenteeism and school dropouts.
“It’s from home that discipline starts. The problem is from the home, and then those students come to the school.”
He warned that if the situation was not addressed, Fiji could face a future with increasing levels of youth disengagement and low educational attainment.
Despite the challenges, the FTA president noted that efforts were ongoing, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, police, and other stakeholders, to address the issue and support affected students.
“We are trying our best, with the help of the ministry, the police, and everybody.”
