The Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts completed their Fiji Education National Consultation Forum for 2016 in the Northern Division yesterday.

More than 400 school heads, teachers, managers, administrators and parents attended the forum to give their views and ideas of the new reforms undertaken by the Ministry.

Macuata district representative Peni Donu acknowledged the initiative taken by the ministry to hold a forum where the voices of ordinary Fijians are heard.

“I believe that there should be yearly forums or consultations as such to be held in every division, so that we can also give the ministry feedback on what we think of the reforms,” Mr Donu said.

Ratu Luke Secondary School manager Eroni Tabakece said he was glad to attend a forum which discussed reforms put in place by

Government as many who live in rural areas have not understood the new reforms.

“One of the issues raised was the late arrivals of the teachers especially those who travel to their homes during the weekend.

“The minister explained that the principals and the head teachers have the authority to talk to these teachers and we as parents must take this up to the school heads,” Mr Tabakece said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Education Mahendra Reddy has urged teachers and school heads to raise their concerns and issues straight to the head office and to the proper authorities to avoid unnecessary confusion.

Mr Reddy added that the reforms are carried out to fix any problems that may exist to raise the bench-mark of the education system and to improve efficiency of service delivery and outcome of results to create knowledge-based society.

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