"Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, we need to affirm that this is not the first time the opposition member of parliament (Mr. Mika Leawere) has unprofessionally attacked our Minister for Education as we have records of his articles in some blog sites and some from the Fijian Teachers Association executives records."
GREASING FOR PROMOTION:
Mahendra Reddys new target? She is Praveena Nand, a secondary school teacher in Labasa. She holds a Diploma in Hindi with no teacher training.
She has been promised a position in the Ministry of Education Office.
It is a known fact amongst teachers in Labasa that he was spotted with her at a function and later seen at her home having breakfast.
She was also spotted at the Labasa airport seeing him off to Suva recently.
Mahendra Reddys new target? She is Praveena Nand, a secondary school teacher in Labasa. She holds a Diploma in Hindi with no teacher training.
She has been promised a position in the Ministry of Education Office.
It is a known fact amongst teachers in Labasa that he was spotted with her at a function and later seen at her home having breakfast.
She was also spotted at the Labasa airport seeing him off to Suva recently.
DEFENDING HIS MASTER: TIKO'S LETTER TO FRANK BAINIMARAMA
4th December, 2015.
The Honorable Prime Minister,
Rear Admiral Ratu Voreqe Bainimarama,
The Prime Minister’s Office,
Government Buildings,
Suva.
Dear Sir,
RE: RECENT ATTACK ON DR MAHENDRA REDDY BY HON. MIKA LEAWERE
It is with due respect to your high office Sir, that I as the senior advisor to the Minister for Education write to affirm to your good office that the Honorable member of opposition, Mika Leawere’s recent attempt to defame our Honorable Minister for Education is uncalled for and filled with untrue allegations that lacked verified facts.
Honorable Prime Minister Sir, the senior staffs of the Ministry of Education do seriously support the reforms. Some of these reforms we have begun implementing within the Ministry of Education as we seek to upgrade our Ministry to what it ought to have been long ago. We believe that in implementing the reforms we would enable our nation face the 21st century challenges in education that has assaulted our educational shores. We as his senior officers do believe that Dr. Mahendra Reddy is our right Minister that is taking education for Fiji’s younger generations in the right direction.
We have seen that his direction is where the Fiji Government can confidently enable and support our citizens realize their constitutional rights to education; in addition to education and fulfillment of our children’s dreams through the many initiatives provided by our Fiji First government. This is also in tune with achieving our longtime dream to create our own knowledge-based Fijian educated society.
Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, we need to affirm that this is not the first time the opposition member of parliament (Mr. Mika Leawere) has unprofessionally attacked our Minister for Education as we have records of his articles in some blog sites and some from the Fijian Teachers Association executives records. Sir, the honorable member of opposition was employed at the Fijian Teachers Association before joining parliament. He created all sorts of problems between the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) executives and the Ministry of Education and it was also the same member of parliament that brought the executives members of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) to present their matanigasau to the Honorable Minister for Education and senior staff of the Ministry earlier this year to try and restore peace between the two organizations that were supposed to be both working in partnership in developing education for all Fijians in Fiji.
The reforms that we have embarked on included the need to support our schools with adequate infrastructure, to ensure best teachers’ delivery and strengthening a comprehensive curriculum content benchmarked alongside some of the best curriculum from around the world but reconsidered and re-contextualized to suit our very local demands and needs; those of our children and our teachers in their classrooms in Fiji today. In the whole reform approach, we have tried as a team in the Ministry of Education to deliver the best education package that this nation has been waiting for, for decades.
Unfortunately Sir, we are facing some old mindsets that are taking time to change but recent monitoring are seeing most of them embracing the reforms and moving forward with a new vision and executing their work to the best of their ability. Many teachers in our nation are still raw in their computer skills and many of our schools still lack needed resources in areas of education technology. Despite the differences that exist, we are trying our best to use technology in our classrooms. The digital learning challenges that we face, in some of our schools, due to zero network access, unreliable energy sources in most of our rural schools and teacher’s lack of exposer to such skills and practices do not defeat our quest to reach the summit of Education technology and enable our teachers and children enjoy it as a reality. The Honorable Minister is with us all the way and he is serious in seeing it through. As your good office may recall, our Ministry has already launched its Digital Literacy Initiative Sir and we look forward with interest that these needs from our teachers and students will soon be adequately addressed.
On a more modern approach to school administration, the Ministry of Education presently boasts about its FEMIS web sites where primary and secondary schools from all around Fiji are enjoying the ease of administering their school reports and monthly absence returns through the internet. In addition, the Ministry and the Consultants are further perfecting its latest electronic pages for better monitoring of school supplied text books, monitoring of students’ attendance, the recent progress of Literacy and Numeracy assessment results and many more. It is also interesting to note that teachers are adhering to reporting templates and reporting processes using the internet. They are learned and are now e-mailing from their schools to the Ministry through their individual district educational offices from our nine education districts. Sir, these were unknown and unpractical in the past but are possible today from schools with just a click of a button.
Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, our post processing system before was riddled with unprofessional gaps that was breeding corruptible practices within our Ministry for many years and could provide any senior officer of the Ministry to be biased in an appointment of an officer to a position. The previous system used to be abused by the Union reps and even some previous senior staffs of the Ministry of Education. The Honorable Minister for Education, Dr Mahendra Reddy introduced a more professional, sensible and reliable post processing system that specifically included the demarcated roles in appointment, of the Permanent Secretary, with the concurrence of the Hon. Minister for Education as provided within our constitution.
Unfortunately Sir, some teachers who were used to the corrupt and unprofessional approaches before thought they could just win confirmation to a position for being a yaqona mixer and server at one of our teacher union Headquarters. The Ministry of Education has gotten rid of such practices as this is seen as unprofessional and full of nepotism. We are thankful to the Honorable Minister for Education for encouraging all senior staff to be professional in addressing matters on promotion of teachers and reiterated that teachers appointed ought to be the best out of all applicants. They ought to be the most meritorious, qualified and experienced as well as be commended highly from school management boards or their local school committees.
All post processing of teachers are currently addressed using this professional matrix that our new Minister introduced. During the Honorable Minister’s term in office, so far, we at the Ministry have managed to clear overdue appointments that were either four to five years pending. Most teachers continuously act on position without a realistic confirmation for a number of years. This did not only apply to teachers, for it also included senior positions within the Ministry of Education.
The Honorable Minister for Education had also put a stop to continuous old practices of appointing unqualified people in advance to act in certain positions of the Ministry thus he has called that all vacant positions be advertised and the most meritorious person that meets our internal post processing matrix (scores the highest point) be awarded the post.
Finally, Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, certain positions of office within the Ministry require management roles thus the rename to ‘manager’; this also remind holders of such positions that they are to manage the effective processing and delivery of information within the Ministry of Education. This is especially to the office of the Honorable Minister for Education and the administration office of the Permanent Secretary for Education. The fear that these units may think that they are stand-alone units on their own needed to be averted thus reminding them that their office functions is to inform the two high offices of education in our country. The History of the Ministry of Education Honorable Prime Minister Sir, shows that previously, positions or units have been renamed just to depict a much specific identity of the units core function.
In conclusion, Honorable Prime Minister Sir, we recommend that honorable member of opposition, Mikaele Leawere’s letter be disregarded as it holds no water and is erroneous and filled with unsubstantiated facts; only meant to bring disrepute to one of your dedicated, loyal, selfless and hardworking member of parliament, the Honorable Minister for Education, Dr Mahendra Reddy. Sir it is the intention of the Ministry in this letter to set the records straight so as not to allow the public or members of opposition such as Honorable Leawere misinform our highest office of government.
Submitted with Respect
Yours Faithfully,
The Honorable Prime Minister,
Rear Admiral Ratu Voreqe Bainimarama,
The Prime Minister’s Office,
Government Buildings,
Suva.
Dear Sir,
RE: RECENT ATTACK ON DR MAHENDRA REDDY BY HON. MIKA LEAWERE
It is with due respect to your high office Sir, that I as the senior advisor to the Minister for Education write to affirm to your good office that the Honorable member of opposition, Mika Leawere’s recent attempt to defame our Honorable Minister for Education is uncalled for and filled with untrue allegations that lacked verified facts.
Honorable Prime Minister Sir, the senior staffs of the Ministry of Education do seriously support the reforms. Some of these reforms we have begun implementing within the Ministry of Education as we seek to upgrade our Ministry to what it ought to have been long ago. We believe that in implementing the reforms we would enable our nation face the 21st century challenges in education that has assaulted our educational shores. We as his senior officers do believe that Dr. Mahendra Reddy is our right Minister that is taking education for Fiji’s younger generations in the right direction.
We have seen that his direction is where the Fiji Government can confidently enable and support our citizens realize their constitutional rights to education; in addition to education and fulfillment of our children’s dreams through the many initiatives provided by our Fiji First government. This is also in tune with achieving our longtime dream to create our own knowledge-based Fijian educated society.
Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, we need to affirm that this is not the first time the opposition member of parliament (Mr. Mika Leawere) has unprofessionally attacked our Minister for Education as we have records of his articles in some blog sites and some from the Fijian Teachers Association executives records. Sir, the honorable member of opposition was employed at the Fijian Teachers Association before joining parliament. He created all sorts of problems between the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) executives and the Ministry of Education and it was also the same member of parliament that brought the executives members of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) to present their matanigasau to the Honorable Minister for Education and senior staff of the Ministry earlier this year to try and restore peace between the two organizations that were supposed to be both working in partnership in developing education for all Fijians in Fiji.
The reforms that we have embarked on included the need to support our schools with adequate infrastructure, to ensure best teachers’ delivery and strengthening a comprehensive curriculum content benchmarked alongside some of the best curriculum from around the world but reconsidered and re-contextualized to suit our very local demands and needs; those of our children and our teachers in their classrooms in Fiji today. In the whole reform approach, we have tried as a team in the Ministry of Education to deliver the best education package that this nation has been waiting for, for decades.
Unfortunately Sir, we are facing some old mindsets that are taking time to change but recent monitoring are seeing most of them embracing the reforms and moving forward with a new vision and executing their work to the best of their ability. Many teachers in our nation are still raw in their computer skills and many of our schools still lack needed resources in areas of education technology. Despite the differences that exist, we are trying our best to use technology in our classrooms. The digital learning challenges that we face, in some of our schools, due to zero network access, unreliable energy sources in most of our rural schools and teacher’s lack of exposer to such skills and practices do not defeat our quest to reach the summit of Education technology and enable our teachers and children enjoy it as a reality. The Honorable Minister is with us all the way and he is serious in seeing it through. As your good office may recall, our Ministry has already launched its Digital Literacy Initiative Sir and we look forward with interest that these needs from our teachers and students will soon be adequately addressed.
On a more modern approach to school administration, the Ministry of Education presently boasts about its FEMIS web sites where primary and secondary schools from all around Fiji are enjoying the ease of administering their school reports and monthly absence returns through the internet. In addition, the Ministry and the Consultants are further perfecting its latest electronic pages for better monitoring of school supplied text books, monitoring of students’ attendance, the recent progress of Literacy and Numeracy assessment results and many more. It is also interesting to note that teachers are adhering to reporting templates and reporting processes using the internet. They are learned and are now e-mailing from their schools to the Ministry through their individual district educational offices from our nine education districts. Sir, these were unknown and unpractical in the past but are possible today from schools with just a click of a button.
Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, our post processing system before was riddled with unprofessional gaps that was breeding corruptible practices within our Ministry for many years and could provide any senior officer of the Ministry to be biased in an appointment of an officer to a position. The previous system used to be abused by the Union reps and even some previous senior staffs of the Ministry of Education. The Honorable Minister for Education, Dr Mahendra Reddy introduced a more professional, sensible and reliable post processing system that specifically included the demarcated roles in appointment, of the Permanent Secretary, with the concurrence of the Hon. Minister for Education as provided within our constitution.
Unfortunately Sir, some teachers who were used to the corrupt and unprofessional approaches before thought they could just win confirmation to a position for being a yaqona mixer and server at one of our teacher union Headquarters. The Ministry of Education has gotten rid of such practices as this is seen as unprofessional and full of nepotism. We are thankful to the Honorable Minister for Education for encouraging all senior staff to be professional in addressing matters on promotion of teachers and reiterated that teachers appointed ought to be the best out of all applicants. They ought to be the most meritorious, qualified and experienced as well as be commended highly from school management boards or their local school committees.
All post processing of teachers are currently addressed using this professional matrix that our new Minister introduced. During the Honorable Minister’s term in office, so far, we at the Ministry have managed to clear overdue appointments that were either four to five years pending. Most teachers continuously act on position without a realistic confirmation for a number of years. This did not only apply to teachers, for it also included senior positions within the Ministry of Education.
The Honorable Minister for Education had also put a stop to continuous old practices of appointing unqualified people in advance to act in certain positions of the Ministry thus he has called that all vacant positions be advertised and the most meritorious person that meets our internal post processing matrix (scores the highest point) be awarded the post.
Finally, Honorable Prime Minister, Sir, certain positions of office within the Ministry require management roles thus the rename to ‘manager’; this also remind holders of such positions that they are to manage the effective processing and delivery of information within the Ministry of Education. This is especially to the office of the Honorable Minister for Education and the administration office of the Permanent Secretary for Education. The fear that these units may think that they are stand-alone units on their own needed to be averted thus reminding them that their office functions is to inform the two high offices of education in our country. The History of the Ministry of Education Honorable Prime Minister Sir, shows that previously, positions or units have been renamed just to depict a much specific identity of the units core function.
In conclusion, Honorable Prime Minister Sir, we recommend that honorable member of opposition, Mikaele Leawere’s letter be disregarded as it holds no water and is erroneous and filled with unsubstantiated facts; only meant to bring disrepute to one of your dedicated, loyal, selfless and hardworking member of parliament, the Honorable Minister for Education, Dr Mahendra Reddy. Sir it is the intention of the Ministry in this letter to set the records straight so as not to allow the public or members of opposition such as Honorable Leawere misinform our highest office of government.
Submitted with Respect
Yours Faithfully,
Iowane P Tiko | DCAS & HMEd’s Advisor
Ministry of Education | Waisomo House
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 3314477| 3313050| 8909626|
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
(Nelson Mandela)
The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;whoever follows that path is safe (proverbs 16:17)
Ministry of Education | Waisomo House
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 3314477| 3313050| 8909626|
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
(Nelson Mandela)
The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;whoever follows that path is safe (proverbs 16:17)
From Fijileaks Archive, Leawere's 2 December letter to Bainimarama
