Mismatch in teacher placements raises concerns

A growing mismatch between teacher qualifications and classroom deployment is undermining education standards and student outcomes, a national forum has been told. 

The warning came at the Fiji National University National TVET Forum 2026 in Nadi, where the Higher Education Commission Fiji raised concerns about the widening gap between teacher training and actual school placements. 

Director Eci Naisele said the problem reflected deeper systemic weaknesses in workforce planning. 

“We are seeing secondary school teachers teaching in primary schools,” he said. 

He cited cases where graduates with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and education were assigned to teach year three students. 

“That is a serious mismatch,” he said. 

More concerning, he added, were instances of specialised Technical and Vocational Education and Training teachers being deployed to lower primary classes. 

“A TVET specialist teacher teaching at the year two level shows the disconnect between training and actual classroom needs.” 

Mr Naisele said the issue highlighted poor alignment between qualifications and workforce demand, weakening the overall impact of education delivery. 

“It’s not just about getting employment anymore,” he said. 

“We want to see how graduates are impacting the workforce and whether their training aligns with industry and sector needs.” 

He warned that such deployment practices directly affect student learning outcomes and raise questions about how effectively institutions are preparing graduates. 

Calling for urgent reform, Mr Naisele said stronger coordination was needed between training institutions and workforce planners to ensure qualifications match classroom realities. 

“This is about ensuring that what is taught translates effectively into real-world impact,” he said.