Statement
[125/15/1/2016]
Independent Education Commission is the SOLUTION!!
Education is said to be the most important investment any Government can make and has far reaching implications that can assist in defying socio-economic norms and realities as well as helping grow Fiji economically. I believe Educational reform is also worth any cost and should not be bound by political point scoring or Government propaganda
I acknowledge that the Fiji First Party has picked up the baton from the Military backed Interim Government of 2007 to 2014, and have tried to push forward Education Reform that to date are questionable and impractical
As a former Minister for Education, I understand too well the complaints and challenges of the Education System, it is not a problem that can be solved overnight but it is a problem that can be solved by deep rational engagement with all stakeholders and the citizens of Fiji including our current consumers of the Education Sector.
In response to Dr. Reddy’s call to attend consultations on the state of our Education System, the Office of the Leader of Opposition held a one day Consultation on the 5th of January 2016.
Three main priority issues were presented to the Minister and his Staff during their Ministerial consultation on the 8th January. These include:
- A Moratorium be placed on all education reforms until an Independent Education Commission is established to review the Education system and a report submitted to Parliament and adopted. The establishment of an independent Education Commission is imperative for the sustainable Education system in Fiji.
- That the $7 million allocation in the 2016 Budget, for the establishment of 10 Technical Colleges be redirected to upgrade existing Vocational Schools throughout Fiji, pending the tabling of the Report from the proposed Independent Education Commission.
- Lastly Fiji’s Scholarship system needs to be reviewed immediately, to assess whether it meets the access, availability and affordability tests as per social justice norms.
Furthermore, inadequate education at the secondary and tertiary levels, including technical and vocational education and training, is leaving students ill-equipped to meet the job market’s changing demands. As a result, many countries are struggling with a mismatch between the skills that employers seek and those that workers have.
An Independent Education Commission and a real desire to implement fair and effective educational change is needed now more than ever to reform our Education standards and push Fiji into the 21ST Century
I applaud the Prime Minister’s Desire to leave “free education programme” behind as his legacy as reported this morning on the FBC website.
However, I must emphasize that quality and affordable free education will only be a reality if there is a comprehensive review of the Education System by an Independent Education Commission.
Authorized By:
Ro Teimumu Kepa
Leawere to Bainimarama: "Please change the Minister [Reddy] as under his leadership, people have died and how many more are very scary to think of."
The Honourable Prime Minister
Government Buildings
Suva
2nd December, 2015.
Dear Sir,
RE: MICRO MANAGING EDUCATION MINISTRY BY THE HON MINISTER, DR MAHENDRA REDDY
Ni sa bula Vinaka Turaga Na Prime Minister. I would like to raise my concern and inform you of what is happening at the Ministry of Education which may warrant your intervention.
Recent changes made in the Ministry of Education by the Hon Minister is like a whirlwind where with one swoop of his hand, he has introduced reforms that are demoralising the entire work force from the administrative level to the teachers on the ground. He has virtually disregarded the role of the operational head of the Ministry as stipulated in Section 127 – (2) of the 2013 Constitution, which says that “each Ministry is to be under the administration of the Permanent Secretary”.
Reforms
In Parliament, on Tuesday, 25th August, Dr Reddy announced in his Ministerial statement that he has introduced a 3 tier reform which are ill conceived and not widely consulted even amongst his senior staff.
These reforms like the many that he has introduced without consultation at the Ministry level and disseminated to the teachers who will implement them will only bring about low morale and fear. These changes have demoralised the entire Ministry and by cracking his whip telling them that this is the way it’s going to be and how it’s going to be is showcasing his dictatorial attitude on all those under his leadership.
A case in point is the assessment issue in which he had announced early in the year that teachers are going to be assessed on a ratio of 60-20-20. This means that 60 should come from work carried out, 20 from the supervisors and 20 from the students for years 12 and 13.
Just recently, roving principals are going to schools and informing teachers that assessment procedures have changed. A sudden change such as this not only increases the anxiety on the teachers but it has placed an extra burden on the teachers and psychologically affects their output in as far as their results in examinations are concerned.
Reporting Line
The Ministry has no structure in terms of reporting especially from education officers to senior education officers to Director Level. Now with the new reforms, everyone is reporting directly to the Minister and the Permanent Secretary is bypassed especially in the decision making process.
Appointments
Section 127 –(8) The PS of each Ministry with the agreement of the Minister responsible for the ministry has the authority to determine all matters pertaining to the employment of all staff in the ministry, including –
The Senior Education Officer Chemistry came straight from USP to this position after graduation and who appoints the officer, none other than the Minister. There is a procedure in place and unfortunately is not being followed and anyone appointed is only through the Minister. Mrs Basundra Kumar during her tenure as acting PS, questioned the dictatorial attitude of Mr Reddy. She was not given a fair hearing and now she is history despite the fact that she had approached the Prime Minister about her case.
The current acting PS is dysfunctional due to the Minister taking over her role. She is just like a puppet and does not carry out her duties as spelt out in the constitution because her role has been taken over by the dictator.
There are 14 Directors in the Ministry. Were these positions budgeted? Will they contribute to the success rate of the Ministry? One can only wait and see the effectiveness of the changes made. The Director Technical College position was supposed to be awarded to Mr Eci Naisele and through the Hon Minister’s intervention, the post was given to another officer who was not qualified. Mr Naisele has the necessary experience and competency but he was overlooked because of the connection the promotee had with the Minister.
It would be interesting to make a head count at the number of Fijians with Indian decent being promoted recently at the Ministry when he became Minister for Education. It is quite scary.
Teachers
Teachers are his mercy and he is ready to castigate and lay his blame on them. Now a case in point is the recent suicide of the three primary students. He has blamed his officer for carrying out his own instructions that schools must do well or the teachers will face the full consequences. It was through him and now he does not want it to be viewed that the directive originated from him. He is not fit to lead the Ministry of Education. He has brought fear amongst his teachers and officers. He has not even considered them for their hard work by way of a pay rise. It’s time to give credit where it is due. I have said this in Parliament regarding teachers’ pay and he does not even respond well to my questions.
The issue on pay rise has been raised many times and with Christmas just around the corner, it would be a positive move to give them what they deserve as these teachers are the implementers of the many reforms being introduced. I plead with your high office and as well as the Hon Minister to give these teachers and all civil servants a pay rise before the year ends. I am sure that there are savings which can be utilised to cater for this.
And as for those students who had taken their lives, they would not have done what they did, if they were not forced to pass and teachers are simply just carrying out what they have been directed to do, by telling their students to pass or else.
Now the Hon Minister is reneging on his directive that all students will have to be assessed and then not to move up to higher level if they don’t do well and now he is singing a different tune when those students took their lives. He cannot take the blame and the sad thing about this is the fact that this loss happened under his watch and in a primary school which is history in the making. He is clever to be seen consoling the grieving parents and as a matter of fact, he is to be blamed and he should be ashamed of himself. These parents should take him to court. This is usually the case where someone wants to take all the credit and unfortunately this time it’s backfiring on his face.
Let us hope that we do not see this happening after Year 12 and Year 13 exam results come out and unfortunately, we are still waiting for Year 8 results.
Managerial Post
The Fiji Teacher Registration Board has its own manager just like the Post Processing Unit. The change in title as introduced by Reddy is made to please his own self and no one is benefitting, especially the community it has been tasked to serve.
What is a Manager in an education system? What is his/her role? Why the change in title? Is there a need?
Hon Prime Minister, I am concerned and so do others who have asked me to write to you. The Ministry needs your intervention and you can see for yourself on what is happening or do you? The Hon Minister for Health would have been the ideal choice and alas, here we have someone who hasn’t the faintest idea and also doesn’t care to heed advice, and running the Ministry like a dictator.
Please change the Minister as under his leadership, people have died and how many more are very scary to think of.
Merry Christmas Hon Prime Minister!
Sincerely
Hon Mikaele Leawere
Member of the Opposition
Government Buildings
Suva
2nd December, 2015.
Dear Sir,
RE: MICRO MANAGING EDUCATION MINISTRY BY THE HON MINISTER, DR MAHENDRA REDDY
Ni sa bula Vinaka Turaga Na Prime Minister. I would like to raise my concern and inform you of what is happening at the Ministry of Education which may warrant your intervention.
Recent changes made in the Ministry of Education by the Hon Minister is like a whirlwind where with one swoop of his hand, he has introduced reforms that are demoralising the entire work force from the administrative level to the teachers on the ground. He has virtually disregarded the role of the operational head of the Ministry as stipulated in Section 127 – (2) of the 2013 Constitution, which says that “each Ministry is to be under the administration of the Permanent Secretary”.
Reforms
In Parliament, on Tuesday, 25th August, Dr Reddy announced in his Ministerial statement that he has introduced a 3 tier reform which are ill conceived and not widely consulted even amongst his senior staff.
These reforms like the many that he has introduced without consultation at the Ministry level and disseminated to the teachers who will implement them will only bring about low morale and fear. These changes have demoralised the entire Ministry and by cracking his whip telling them that this is the way it’s going to be and how it’s going to be is showcasing his dictatorial attitude on all those under his leadership.
A case in point is the assessment issue in which he had announced early in the year that teachers are going to be assessed on a ratio of 60-20-20. This means that 60 should come from work carried out, 20 from the supervisors and 20 from the students for years 12 and 13.
Just recently, roving principals are going to schools and informing teachers that assessment procedures have changed. A sudden change such as this not only increases the anxiety on the teachers but it has placed an extra burden on the teachers and psychologically affects their output in as far as their results in examinations are concerned.
Reporting Line
The Ministry has no structure in terms of reporting especially from education officers to senior education officers to Director Level. Now with the new reforms, everyone is reporting directly to the Minister and the Permanent Secretary is bypassed especially in the decision making process.
Appointments
Section 127 –(8) The PS of each Ministry with the agreement of the Minister responsible for the ministry has the authority to determine all matters pertaining to the employment of all staff in the ministry, including –
- The terms and conditions of employment
- The qualification requirements for appointment and the process to be followed for appointment, which be an open, transparent and competitive selection process based on merit;
- The salaries, benefits and allowances payable , in accordance with its budget as approved by parliament; and
- The total establishment or the total number of staff that are required to be appointed, in accordance with the budget as approved by parliament.
The Senior Education Officer Chemistry came straight from USP to this position after graduation and who appoints the officer, none other than the Minister. There is a procedure in place and unfortunately is not being followed and anyone appointed is only through the Minister. Mrs Basundra Kumar during her tenure as acting PS, questioned the dictatorial attitude of Mr Reddy. She was not given a fair hearing and now she is history despite the fact that she had approached the Prime Minister about her case.
The current acting PS is dysfunctional due to the Minister taking over her role. She is just like a puppet and does not carry out her duties as spelt out in the constitution because her role has been taken over by the dictator.
There are 14 Directors in the Ministry. Were these positions budgeted? Will they contribute to the success rate of the Ministry? One can only wait and see the effectiveness of the changes made. The Director Technical College position was supposed to be awarded to Mr Eci Naisele and through the Hon Minister’s intervention, the post was given to another officer who was not qualified. Mr Naisele has the necessary experience and competency but he was overlooked because of the connection the promotee had with the Minister.
It would be interesting to make a head count at the number of Fijians with Indian decent being promoted recently at the Ministry when he became Minister for Education. It is quite scary.
Teachers
Teachers are his mercy and he is ready to castigate and lay his blame on them. Now a case in point is the recent suicide of the three primary students. He has blamed his officer for carrying out his own instructions that schools must do well or the teachers will face the full consequences. It was through him and now he does not want it to be viewed that the directive originated from him. He is not fit to lead the Ministry of Education. He has brought fear amongst his teachers and officers. He has not even considered them for their hard work by way of a pay rise. It’s time to give credit where it is due. I have said this in Parliament regarding teachers’ pay and he does not even respond well to my questions.
The issue on pay rise has been raised many times and with Christmas just around the corner, it would be a positive move to give them what they deserve as these teachers are the implementers of the many reforms being introduced. I plead with your high office and as well as the Hon Minister to give these teachers and all civil servants a pay rise before the year ends. I am sure that there are savings which can be utilised to cater for this.
And as for those students who had taken their lives, they would not have done what they did, if they were not forced to pass and teachers are simply just carrying out what they have been directed to do, by telling their students to pass or else.
Now the Hon Minister is reneging on his directive that all students will have to be assessed and then not to move up to higher level if they don’t do well and now he is singing a different tune when those students took their lives. He cannot take the blame and the sad thing about this is the fact that this loss happened under his watch and in a primary school which is history in the making. He is clever to be seen consoling the grieving parents and as a matter of fact, he is to be blamed and he should be ashamed of himself. These parents should take him to court. This is usually the case where someone wants to take all the credit and unfortunately this time it’s backfiring on his face.
Let us hope that we do not see this happening after Year 12 and Year 13 exam results come out and unfortunately, we are still waiting for Year 8 results.
Managerial Post
The Fiji Teacher Registration Board has its own manager just like the Post Processing Unit. The change in title as introduced by Reddy is made to please his own self and no one is benefitting, especially the community it has been tasked to serve.
What is a Manager in an education system? What is his/her role? Why the change in title? Is there a need?
Hon Prime Minister, I am concerned and so do others who have asked me to write to you. The Ministry needs your intervention and you can see for yourself on what is happening or do you? The Hon Minister for Health would have been the ideal choice and alas, here we have someone who hasn’t the faintest idea and also doesn’t care to heed advice, and running the Ministry like a dictator.
Please change the Minister as under his leadership, people have died and how many more are very scary to think of.
Merry Christmas Hon Prime Minister!
Sincerely
Hon Mikaele Leawere
Member of the Opposition
Fijileaks: Reddy should FIX the rot at FNU and bring Kafoa to JUSTICE!
