Teacher unions question lack of details in Ministry vacancy ads
FTA and FTU say applicants need to know the schools and locations before applying for teaching positions.
Wednesday 02 September 2026 | 17:00
Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) general secretary Paula Manumanunitoga (left) and FTU general secretary Muniappa Goundar.
Questions are being raised over the way teacher vacancies are being advertised, with concerns that some applicants may not have enough information to know exactly where the jobs are located before applying.
The concerns come after the Ministry of Education reposted advertisements for teaching positions, with the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) saying the notices do not provide enough details about the schools and locations attached to the vacancies.
FTA general secretary Paula Manumanunitoga said advertisements should include the school name, school registration number, district, vacancy number, distance from the nearest post office and transport information, particularly for remote and outer island positions.
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“They need to provide these details to allow teachers to make informed decisions before applying,” Mr Manumanunitoga said.
He said the current advertisements mainly provide a summary of vacancies based on small, medium and large schools, while further information can be accessed through the Ministry’s FEMIS system.
“Another issue would be that not every teacher would have easy internet access, particularly those in rural and remote areas.”
In response, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro said the format had already been approved by the education board before the meeting with the unions.
“Both the FTA and Fiji Teachers Union (FTU) had agreed to the format following a meeting last week,” Mr Radrodro said.
However, FTU general secretary Muniappa Goundar criticised the format, claiming that the Ministry lacked the basic knowledge of how to advertise vacancies.
“Our applicants must know which school they are applying for and where the schools are,” Mr Goundar said.
He also called for the latest role descriptions to be included so teachers could determine whether they met the minimum qualification requirements.
“If the Ministry’s recruitment division failed in that, that means they are failing our teachers. Simple as that,” Mr Goundar said.
