Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar has raised urgent concerns in Parliament about the ongoing shortage of qualified teachers in Fiji and the misalignment in teacher placements within schools. In a recent parliamentary debate, Ms. Kumar accused the Fiji Teachers Registration Authority (FTRA), teacher training institutions, and the Ministry of Education of failing to effectively coordinate, labeling the current situation as a longstanding problem rather than a new development.
Ms. Kumar emphasized the worrying fact that many school subjects remain unstaffed or are being taught by individuals who do not possess the requisite qualifications. She pointed out that some educators, assigned under “limited authority,” are teaching in classrooms without meeting the necessary registration standards. Meanwhile, fully qualified secondary teachers find themselves teaching in primary schools, where they lack the relevant qualifications.
Illustrating the issue, she referenced a situation where an English language teacher was compelled to deliver mathematics lessons, having only completed a single unit in the subject. “So, what kind of teaching is happening in that classroom?” she questioned, cautioning that such placements could jeopardize educational standards in the future, despite appearing practical in the short term.
Kumar also shed light on a significant imbalance in the job market, where there is an oversupply of early childhood education (ECE) graduates, while vital subjects like mathematics and science are experiencing substantial shortages. She criticized the FTRA for its inadequate acknowledgment of its responsibilities in this staffing mismatch, describing the situation as a result of poor planning and coordination.
Recent data underscores Kumar’s insights, highlighting hundreds of vacancies in both primary and secondary schools attributed to a lack of qualified teachers, compounded by the trend of educators moving abroad in search of better prospects. These issues have sparked ongoing discussions about the support, compensation, and working conditions for teachers, emphasizing the need for systemic reforms to ensure the sustained quality of education in Fiji.
Despite these formidable challenges, there is a ray of hope as advocacy for enhancing teacher conditions and recruitment in critical subjects continues to gain traction. If these systemic issues are effectively addressed, they can pave the way for a more robust educational framework, ultimately enriching the learning environment for students throughout Fiji.