The Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy, spoke about quality education during the Sadhu Kuppuswamy Day celebration at Tagitagi Sangam School in Tavua last Friday.

“Quality education, I am convinced, is now our priority. This is if we wish to be a literally free nation where we can solve our own problems and realise our own ideals,” he said.

Mr Reddy said the current education system in Fiji has had close to 200 years of development.

“The Government itself made a decision last year to set up 10 technical colleges beginning with three this year.

“While we are currently pursuing this, the signal is clear that Fiji must increase and focus its capacity on education and training in its own institutions.

“Today, we can churn out our own graduates who can think and create for our nation an economy and a model that will enable our country to be independent in every sense of the word,” Mr Reddy said.

“This nation is committed to greater investment in economic growth; one of the most beneficial of all such investments is education.”

The celebration was organised by the Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam committee and the day is marked by all Angam institutions around Fiji.

The celebration marks the life of Sadhu Kuppuswamy, the man who in 1926, pioneered and founded the formation of TISI Sangam, an institution which promotes the culture and language of South Indian indentured labourers in Fiji.

“This vision was most probably formed under the cool shades of a mango tree emerging to define and design a destiny for their future,” Mr Reddy said.

“This institution and numerous other schools managed by TISI Sangam of Fiji, I am sure, is the realisation of that dream; of that vision.

“The TISI Sangam has been one of the trend-setters in education here in our beloved Fiji.

“The numerous schools managed by the organisation, indicate the realisation of the great vision of its founding leader,” he said.

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