The Ministry of Education is proposing four terms be implemented from next year.

Minister for Education, Heritage & Arts Premila Kumar said this during the Launch of Phase Four of Transforming Education through Digitalisation, at the Swami Vivekananda College, in Nadi yesterday.

She said the 2022 academic year started late in April, and is scheduled to end on December 16 because of COVID-19.

“We are proposing four terms and we’ve got several reasons as to why we want to do that,” she said.

Ms Kumar reasoned:

• To give ample time for teachers to recover, rejuvenate and start the new academic year. proper
• Able to spread sporting events over and not congested, in the first term or middle second term.
• Retailers Association requested for the two events Christmas and opening of schools a little bit apart. They have seen that parents are not able to celebrate Christmas freely, and they start thinking of opening schools, etc.
• The final reason is to make sure that our holidays are aligned to neighbours Australia and New Zealand
• School management urged open school a bit late due to adverse weather conditions in the month of January as a lot of bad weather, heavy downpour, forces school to close down.

Ms Kumar added that there would be a two week break after every term with a five week break at the end.

As usual the examination will be pushed through towards the end of the year.

“There will be ample time given to us for marking. We will be able to release the results on time before university starts. So we’ve taken all that into account,” she said.

The minister praised SVC for taking the lead in being a savvy-tech institution as in 2010, had pioneered e-learning.

Award winning SVC principal Rajesh Krishna said, “this Phase Four is giving teachers ‘surface go’ devices – a two in one tablet and laptop Microsoft product.

Teachers will use this device to do their work relating to teaching and learning and will use it in the classroom to teach.”

The college also invested in a fitness centre, which will enhance the training of physical education in school.

It was opened by the minister.

Story By: Waisea Nasokia

Feedback: waisean@fijisun.com.fj