Working conditions, classroom environment under scrutiny

Fiji Teachers Union president Sashi Mahendra Shandil says a teacher’s work is shaped by the conditions in which students learn.

He made the remarks at the 96th Fiji Teachers Union Annual Conference 2026 at Xavier College Hall in Ba on Tuesday night.

“Overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated buildings, lack of basic resources, poor sanitation and inadequate transport in rural areas degrade learning and demoralise staff,” he said.

The union is calling for a national commitment to safe, well-resourced and dignified learning environments.

“Class sizes must be manageable. Schools must have libraries, laboratories and technology where feasible, as well as functioning water and sanitation systems.

“Support staff — counsellors, teacher aides and maintenance personnel — are not luxuries; they are essential to quality education.”

Salaries and dignity

Teaching is a skilled profession requiring training, commitment and daily excellence.

Mr Shandil said remuneration did not reflect that reality.

“When teachers struggle to pay mortgages, when they take second jobs to feed their families, and when bright new graduates look abroad for wages that respect their worth, alarm bells should ring,” he said.

“Salaries are not merely numbers on a payslip; they are a public acknowledgement of value.

“We call for a multi-year, realistic plan to restore teacher incomes, aligned with the cost of living and comparable to similar professions locally and regionally.

“Incrementalism without ambition will not suffice. We need a credible roadmap that guarantees progress and protects teaching as a viable, respected career.”