Children forced to leave home as education gaps persist

Children as young as five are being forced to leave their families and travel long distances, including by sea, to attend school due to gaps in access to education.

Education officials say the situation highlights a major disconnect between the constitutional right to education and the reality faced by families in remote areas.

Speaking during the Constitution Review Commission consultations yesterday, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education Timoci Bure described the issue as one of the system’s most pressing failures.

“In many communities, early childhood education simply does not exist,” Mr Bure said. “Parents have no choice but to send their children away.”

In regions such as Bua, Macuata and Yasawa, young children often travel far from home to access schooling.

“At that age, they should be with their parents,” Mr Bure said. “But the system forces a different reality.”

He said the Government had introduced infant schools in rural areas to bring early education closer to communities, but these remained policy-driven initiatives rather than constitutional guarantees.

Officials also raised concerns about the lack of trained teachers for students with special needs.

“Mainstream teachers are not equipped with the specialized skills required for inclusive education,” one official said, pointing to the need for targeted training and stronger constitutional support.

Mr Bure said the issue was not a lack of effort, but a gap between policy and implementation.

“The constitution allows for explanation when services cannot be delivered,” he said. “But an explanation does not send a child to school.”

Officials are now calling for reforms to ensure no child is forced to leave home or left behind in accessing education.