In the latest parliamentary session, the Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro, candidly acknowledged what many parents, students, and school administrators already know too well: Fiji is facing a critical shortage of teachers.
While this is not unique to Fiji, teacher shortages are a global phenomenon, impacts here are acute and carry long-term consequences for our children’s learning, national development, and social equity.
The Government has outlined various measures to address the shortfall, from recruiting final-year education students into classrooms, to extending the retirement age, and improving induction and support for new graduates.
These steps are commendable, but the issue runs deeper than mere numbers. If we are serious about resolving this crisis, we must look honestly at the root causes and pursue both immediate interventions and longer-term systemic reforms.
Root causes of teacher shortages in Fiji
1. The brain drain effect
One of the primary reasons for teacher shortages in Fiji is the migration of qualified educators to overseas markets. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand actively recruit teachers, offering far better salaries, benefits, and working conditions. A Fijian teacher who earns a modest salary here can double or even triple their income abroad. Beyond financial incentives, overseas postings often provide access to professional development, well-resourced classrooms, and structured career progression, advantages Fiji struggles to match.
This outward flow of talent is not just about economics; it is about dignity and recognition. Many teachers leave because they feel undervalued at home. Unless Fiji creates a more attractive professional environment, the brain drain will continue unabated.
2. Inequitable distribution of teachers
Even within Fiji, teacher shortages are not evenly felt. Urban schools, especially in Suva and Lautoka, generally manage to attract sufficient staff, while rural and maritime schools bear the brunt of the shortage. Teachers are often reluctant to relocate to remote areas where housing, transport, and even basic amenities may be lacking. For younger teachers, these postings can feel isolating and career-limiting. This disparity creates a two-tier education system, where rural children are left disadvantaged despite having equal rights to quality education.
3. Delayed recruitment and bureaucracy
Teachers and school leaders frequently complain about delays in teacher postings and lengthy bureaucratic processes within the ministry. Vacancies sometimes remain unfilled for months, forcing schools to either combine classes or rely on untrained personnel. This inefficiency demoralises staff, overburdens existing teachers, and disrupts student learning.
4. Stagnant pay and limited incentives
While the ministry has introduced incremental salary adjustments and incentives for long-serving teachers, the reality is that teaching salaries remain low compared to other professions requiring similar qualifications. Without competitive remuneration, teaching will continue to struggle to attract the “best and brightest”. The lack of structured performance bonuses, rural allowances, or meaningful career progression only exacerbates the problem.
5. Workload and burnout
Teachers in Fiji face heavy workloads, often balancing overcrowded classrooms, extracurricular responsibilities, and administrative tasks. Curriculum changes and exam pressures only heighten the stress. Without adequate support, many teachers experience burnout, contributing to attrition and early exits from the profession.
Pathways to addressing the crisis
The teacher shortage cannot be solved by a single measure. It requires a multi-pronged approach, balancing immediate relief with systemic reforms to make teaching an attractive and sustainable career in Fiji.
1. Improve remuneration and benefits
Competitive pay is the cornerstone of teacher retention. While Fiji cannot match Australia or New Zealand, the Government can narrow the gap through creative solutions:
- Rural allowances: Additional pay for those serving in remote and maritime schools;
- Housing assistance: Subsidised accommodation or housing loans for teachers in rural postings; and
- Performance bonuses: Incentives for excellence in teaching, innovation, and student outcomes.
By rewarding commitment and service, especially in hard-to-staff areas, the ministry can reduce attrition and redistribute teachers more equitably.
2. Streamline recruitment and posting
The bureaucratic hurdles that delay teacher appointments must be dismantled. A transparent, technology-driven recruitment system—perhaps an online portal that tracks applications and vacancies in real time—would allow for quicker placements and reduce frustration. Schools should not have to wait months for teachers when qualified applicants are ready to serve.
3. Strengthen teacher training pipelines
The decision to recruit final-year education students is a practical short-term fix. However, the teacher training system itself must be expanded and aligned with actual demand. This means:
- Increasing scholarships for education degrees;
- Expanding pathways for mid-career professionals to retrain as teachers; and
- Ensuring ongoing professional development opportunities to retain teachers long-term.
4. Invest in working conditions
Teachers stay where they feel supported. Schools, especially in rural areas, need proper infrastructure: decent housing, reliable transport, electricity, and internet access. Beyond physical conditions, mentorship programs, supportive leadership, and reduced administrative burdens can all contribute to higher job satisfaction.
5. Leverage technology and community talent
The ministry’s effort to use eLearning platforms and community expertise for PEMAC subjects is a forward-looking approach. Building on this, Fiji should expand blended learning models where technology supports teaching in under-resourced areas. Community professionals — retired teachers, local experts, even parents — can be integrated into the education ecosystem, especially for vocational and cultural subjects.
6. Rebuild teacher morale and professional status
At its heart, teaching is a calling. But passion alone cannot sustain an educator in the face of financial hardship, poor conditions, and lack of recognition. We must restore teaching as a respected profession, central to nation-building. Public campaigns, recognition awards, and a stronger teacher union voice can elevate morale and pride
Immediate solutions vs. long-term reforms
In the immediate term, Fiji should prioritise filling vacancies by fast-tracking recruitment of graduates, rehiring retired teachers on short contracts, and offering financial incentives for rural postings. Simultaneously, medium to long-term reforms must aim at rebuilding the profession’s status, improving pay scales, and aligning teacher training with demand.
Crucially, this must be a whole-of-society effort. The Ministry of Education cannot tackle the crisis alone. Government ministries, teacher training institutes, school management boards, parents, and even the private sector all have a role to play in ensuring that classrooms remain staffed with capable, motivated educators.
Conclusion: A national priority
The shortage of teachers in Fiji is more than an administrative problem; it is a national emergency that threatens the very foundation of our education system. Every unfilled classroom means children losing out on the knowledge, guidance, and mentorship they deserve. Every teacher who leaves for greener pastures is a reminder that we must do better for those who remain.
If we are to prepare our young people for the future — equipped with the skills, values, and confidence to lead Fiji forward — we must ensure that teaching itself is a profession worth committing to. That means fair pay, supportive conditions, professional respect, and a sense of shared national purpose.
The time for piecemeal fixes is over. What Fiji needs now is a bold, comprehensive strategy that treats teachers not as expendable workers but as the backbone of our nation’s future. Our children cannot wait, and neither should we.
- INDAR DEO BISUN is a former teacher and a lecturer in education at the Fiji National University. The views expressed in this article are his and do not reflect the views of this newspaper.
