Parents must take Responsibility for Education: Vadei

“Education is the parents’ responsibility.”

These were the words of Lomaiviti Provincial Council chairman Samuela Vadei when asked for his views on the recently passed Education Bill, which now allows schools to impose levies on students.

Some people have openly voiced frustration over this part of the Bill, arguing that many families are already struggling with the rising cost of living amid the global fuel crisis.

However, Mr Vadei held a different view when asked about the impact this could have on families in the villages of Lomaiviti.

“The government only steps in to assist. I think the wrong idea popular today is we blame the government for everything,” he said.

He reflected on the struggles faced by their forefathers, saying there was no excuse for the current generation.

“I remember when our elders used to tell us that all schools on our islands had coconut leaves as the roofs but that produced the first Fijian PhD student from Gau Island.

“Today we’ve got corrugated irons, concrete buildings, what’s the excuse these days so we want to take away the ‘government blame’, we want to emphasise to all parents that education is about capacity building and an investment. They themselves will see the fruits of good education in the years to come,” Mr Vadei said.

The Education Bill was passed in Parliament on Monday.