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Every Fiji citizen - regardless of race, color or creed - has a right to and must be able to access quality education.
This was the message from Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama at the official opening of the Fiji National University (FNU) in Nasinu today.
Addressing the 2000 plus guests, Bainimarama said “quality education must include honest and critical thinking”.
He contrasted the situation in Fiji with first world countries saying their progress and development “have been characterized by access to good education, free thinking and new ideas”.
Bainimarama said those with distorted views about the human rights situation in Fiji ignore the fact that the government places a lot of emphasis on economic and social rights, as it does on civil and political rights.
“We must cater for social and economic rights, and this includes the right to education,” he said.
The Fiji Government last year agreed to merge the Fiji School of Agriculture, Fiji College of Advanced Education, Lautoka Teachers College, Fiji School of Nursing, Fiji School of Medicine and Fiji Institute of Technology in to one national university.
Bainimarama said the amalgamation of the local education institutions under the FNU banner provides a unique opportunity where specialized expertise is made available under the one roof.
Under the new structure are four colleges – (1) College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2) College of Engineering, Science and Technology (3) College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services (4) College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies.
The University’s administrative headquarters will be based at the Fiji College of Advanced Education in Nasinu.
