LAUTOKA Market Vendors Association president Filomena Ditukana has proposed the school system recognise informal skills by first honing basic literacy, numeracy and hands-on learning during the first three years of school.
Ms Ditukana said this while giving her submissions at the Fiji Constitutional Review Public Consultation in Lautoka yesterday.
“I work mostly with the people at grassroots level, with communities and in the market with vendors across the Western Division,” she said.
“Every week, I meet youth (and) students who have dropped out from school. Many of them walk into the markets to look for food or money. They drop out because they lack the intelligence.”
Ms Ditukana said Fiji’s existing education system tests students on subjects that don’t connect to their real strengths.
“We lose our future farmers, carpenters, fishermen, artists and mechanics and business owners before they reach year 10. When they inherit their land, how can we expect them to develop it. The school system never developed them. So, I’m here to propose a change and ask the Constitutional Review Committee to consider it seriously.”
