Proposed Education Bill fails TVET students, says polytech

A proposed education law does little to help students who want to learn a trade.

This was highlighted by the chairperson of Pacific Polytech Dr Ganesh Chand during his submission to Parliament's Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights on the Education Bill yesterday.

Dr Chand said the Education Bill, which aims to replace Fiji's 1966 Education Act, mentions technical and vocational education and training — known as TVET — but fails to properly define or support it.

TVET refers to hands-on, skills-based training in trades such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and other practical fields — pathways many Fijian students take instead of university.

"The entire bill is about teaching, not TVET, though TVET is mentioned," Dr Chand said. "It pays only lip service to TVET."

He said of 36 schools identified by the Government to offer TVET programmes, only six had been successfully registered so far — largely because schools could not find qualified trainers.

Dr Chand said the problem was that trade trainers were being held to the same registration standards as classroom teachers, despite needing different skills entirely.

"You don't need a bachelor's in education to teach carpentry," he said.

He called for a clear pathway after Year 10, where students could choose between academic or technical education — a proposal he said is backed by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.

Dr Chand also raised concerns that the bill proposed repealing the Higher Education Act without adequate public notice, and called for the entire bill to be sent back for a thorough review before it is passed.

"Relook at it thoroughly, every aspect, and then bring it forward.," he said.