PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has urged young people and parents not to lose hope when students struggle in school, saying failure does not determine a child’s destiny.
Mr Rabuka used his own story to prove it.
“You heard all the things I have done from the master of ceremonies, but he did not mention that I failed my last external examination in secondary school.”
While speaking at the graduation at Monfort Institute in Savusavu yesterday, he said many people only hear of his achievements, but not the part of his life that shaped him most.
“A few years ago, in the government that I had led in the 1990s, the education minister then wanted to introduce a new policy on how we look after school dropouts.”
During the long caucus discussion, he said, the minister noticed that Mr Rabuka had not spoken.
“I had asked the minister what the discussion was about, and then he said we were talking about ways we can help school dropouts, and I asked him how you define one. The minister said these were students who do not complete the education system and go up to tertiary level education.”
After a long discussion, he said he was asked what the government should do for students who have not completed their education.
“In which I replied, ‘we make them prime ministers’.”
Only then, he said, did the room fully grasp the point.
“They looked at me and realised I qualified by their own definition of a school dropout.”
He said his journey was a reminder to students who struggle academically that their future is not limited by exam results.
“If you did not qualify to go through the mainstream of education. You are here for a brighter, bigger, more impact-making future.”
He said Fiji must continue opening pathways for every child because talent, purpose and leadership do not always come from the top of the class.
