Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Mahendra Reddy reminded school heads about their role in promoting important virtues and values among the students and staff.

“With technological advancement, increasing social problems, new ideas, there is a need to strengthen virtues and values amongst our students as well as our teachers. Values and virtues will instill discipline amongst students as well as staff and will eventually improve attendance and punctuality,” he said.

Speaking at the Fiji Head Teachers Association Annual Conference in Lautoka yesterday, Mr Reddy said: “As school heads, your role in promoting important virtues and values amongst the students as well as the staff is paramount.

“A culture needs to be created in the school whereby the students and staff understand each other’s values and thoughts.

“Being appreciative, recognising and accepting others’ differences would enable one to work collaboratively with others and together meet set benchmarks,” he said.

Mr Reddy told the head teachers that they needed to make themselves more approachable and known to the students, other teachers and the community.

“You all must maintain your integrity as heads at all times. We are accountable for the role and its responsibilities as bestowed upon us.

“You, as heads, are accountable to Government’s resources which are channelled in the schools systems, for example, the bus fare scheme, infrastructural development, usage of grant money, text books, teachers, etc,” he said.

Mr Reddy said Government had revolutionised the entire education system by first acknowledging that access to education is the right of every Fijian and progressively, removing all obstacles for Fijians to access education.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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