Teachers’ Helpline To Be Launched This Year

A teachers helpline giving teachers an opportunity to voice their concerns regarding employment and personal issues is expected to be launched later this year.
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Premila Kumar confirmed this during her visit to Toko Sanatan Primary School in Toko, Vatukoula, Tavua on Thursday.
Ms Kumar this was in addition to the Talanoa platform where the Ministry would post messages for teachers.
“In the future we will be launching a teacher’s helpline which means any teacher who has got employment related matters will call the Ministry and sort it out. So, we have a person who will attend to your calls. It’s like a call centre,” she said.
She said there would be another set up where they would deal with complaints from parents and students who can lodge their complaint to the ministry.
Other changes
She said other changes included the review of the Early Childhood Care (ECE) numeracy and literacy curriculum.
The Ministry is also proposing to scrap exams for Years 1 to Year 3, but the focus would be on numeracy and literacy.
“For the ECE right up to Year 3, we want to focus on settling the right foundation for our children, so they become leaders, listeners and they are able to do discovery learning and they become more creative. So, they should explore and not the way we teach Year 1, a very rigid, strict approach.”
She said United Nations Children’s Fund had also come on board to support the adapting of the Early Childhood Education standards, curriculum, and procedures.
Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu