‘School Drop Outs a Concern’

The alarming number of school dropouts calls for the Ministry of Education to review the school curriculum, says Muniappa Gounder, general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union (FTU).

“Children these days are losing interest very quickly. The curriculum needs to be reviewed and made more engaging to capture the minds of our students,” Mr Gounder said.

“Children are losing interest in school daily,” he said.

“For this, the Ministry of Education needs a thorough review of the curriculum that are be relevant, local and that children relate to.”

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro had recently revealed that a total of 5726 students dropped out of school before completing Year 10 from 2019 to 2023.

Mr Radrodro said that while the specific reasons for drop out or premature exit of the education system was not captured, common reasons that have been disclosed at school level include demise, migration, public school to private school movement and medical condition.

“We don’t want a curriculum that is based overseas, where children find it difficult and quickly lose interest,” Mr Gounder said.

“Some schools have been offering digital learning; our children are now digital natives. I believe this is the way forward.

“They want their school experience to be engaging, and the teaching methods need to capture their interest.

“Absenteeism has been increasing because they are losing interest.”

Reason

Mr Gounder said Government freebies could also be a factor why children are not being motivated enough to be in school.

“Parents do not take their responsibility seriously because they are spoon-fed.

“When you invest your money into something you will always encourage your children to work hard so that your investment in not in vain.

“We come from a time when our parents struggled to provide for our education, and witnessing their sacrifices motivated us to work hard to repay them.

“Now, parents are relaxing on their laurels. They do not really take their responsibilities seriously. Most parents become lazy, they do not bother what their children do, there is definitely lack of commitment.”

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