.gif)
Fiji’s secondary school population is expected to rise from 2011 and beyond, says Education minister Filipe Bole.
While addressing elders in Cakaudrove yesterday, a province in Fiji’s north, Bole said parents should be ready for the challenges that come with the increase.
According to Bole, since the abolition of major external examinations at primary school and secondary level, all students who enroll in Class 1 are expected to reach Form 6 before they sit for their first external examination.
The Fiji Intermediate Examination was abolished last year while this year will be the final year for the Fiji Eighth Year (FEYE) and the Fiji Junior Certificate Examination (FJCE).
Bole noted that two main reasons for Fiji school dropouts are the examinations, which he says acts as a ‘strainer’ in the education process; and the other is that parents do not support their children’s education.
“Many a time, parents complain of the financial burdens of education and as a result, shirk their responsibility in supporting their own children.
“However, the reward that come with a good education for our children is beyond measure; it is valuable investment for the future of our families, our mataqalis (clans), our villages and of course our nation,” Bole said.
