The Northern Division teachers expressed their desire for a thorough primary and secondary education school curriculum review to the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) visiting consultation team in the North this week. The consultation was held to explore how best to introduce competency–based TVET lessons into the secondary school system.

“This is a common sentiment we have gathered from teachers throughout the country,” explained FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand. ”

“They raised that many lessons have become outdated, and some topics are irrelevant to Fiji’s current trends and development.”

Teachers teaching TVET subjects highlighted the need to shift from emphasizing theoretical leaning to a more hands-on approach incorporating practical assignments to help students better understand the topics.

FHEC Director, Dr Rohit Kishore expressed the need to strengthen education systems and introduce curriculum reforms to better prepare students for the world of work. He also suggested introducing TVET competency-based courses into the secondary school curriculum to equip students with career-specific skills and greater employability opportunities.

The teachers thanked FHEC for taking the initiative to visit schools and institutions in the North and expressed their hope that the recommendations on the primary and secondary curriculum reform will be implemented at the earliest.

To provide work attachments for their students, Montfort Technical Training Institute (MITT) in Savusavu brings the industry into their school.

This concept applies to the students studying Carpentry and Joinery who worked to complete orders of chairs and desks from some schools in the three provinces of Cakaudrove, Bua, and Macuata.

“Instead of arranging placements for practical experience, students work on furniture orders and are closely monitored and assessed by their own teachers,” described MITT Principal, Bro Gibi John.

The school cut their Mahogany Trees to provide the timber and sell the furniture. The process provides income for the school and the practical component of the course.

FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand salutes the school management and teachers for their dedication and commitment to providing quality education and training.

The Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Training workshop held last week was a success. The workshop was sponsored by the Secretariat of Pacific-Community-SPC and organised in cooperation with the Fiji Higher Education Commission Listen to the feedback from some of the participants.

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Montfort Boys Town (MBT) in Veisari is ready to increase its capacity to train more skilled people.  This was expressed to the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) team, who visited the institution this week for a consultation.

The FHEC is carrying out consultations in secondary schools and Higher Education Institutions to solicit ideas and recommendations for interventions for the exodus of skilled people that the country is facing.

MBT Principal Mr Paul Shaji said the institution is willing to offer its assistance to help address this national issue.

FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand, said that the FHEC would undoubtedly support Montfort and other institutions willing to follow suit.

“We can’t stop migration, and the best intervention option is to train more skilled people,” explained Mr Chand.

“ Most of the time, your contributions go unnoticed and unappreciated, but I salute you today  for toiling quietly in training skilled people for Fiji,” the FHEC Chair told the staff.

FHEC is also working with development partners like Australia and New Zealand to address the issue.

Taking a courtesy visit to the New Zealand High Commission, FHEC Chair Mr Steve Chand and Director Dr Rohit Kishore presented some initial findings of the FHEC consultation regarding skills training and education.

Key elements included the importance of building teachers’ capacity to accommodate proposed curriculum changes, which would feature choices of competency-based lessons.

Manager of International Development Cooperation Ms Sarah Nisbet acknowledged the approach taken by the FHEC, noting with concern the exodus of skilled professionals from Fiji.

She expressed interest in looking at data on the Fiji people who had moved to New Zealand on work visas and exploring potential solutions to reverse the current trend.

In response, Mr Chand thanked the High Commission for their positive engagement on the matters discussed.

In conclusion, Mr Chand emphasized the need for continued collaboration between development partners to address the exodus of skilled professionals from Fiji effectively.

The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Fiji met with the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) to explore the opportunities of working together in terms of education and training related to MSMEs and to establish a professional working relationship.

The discussion of the two parties centre around the standardizing of training and an establishment of an institution to be a focal point for MSME.

“ We want have an organized sector where training programmes are properly accredited and streamlined and have a focal training institution to represent the majority,” described Director MSME Fiji, Mr Faizal Khan.

Mr Khan said MSME in Fiji consists of 3000 enterprises and they develop and deliver own train training which are mostly short courses. MSME can assist FHEC in controlling short courses.

FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand thanked the team for reaching out to the FHEC and assured them that the FHEC is always willing to assist with due processes followed.

“ We are glad to work with MSME Fiji to promote the idea and value of entrepreneurship to our learners in Fiji,” stressed the FHEC Chair.

FHEC Director Dr Rohit Kishore said that this relationship is important so that FHEC can access data of skills training provided by MSMEs.

MSMEs contribute over 18% of the GDP and provide employment for approximately 60% of the Fijian labour force.

The new Chair of the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC), Mr Steve Chand, has set eyes on Navuso Agriculture Technical Institute (NATI) and believes that the institution could be empowered to achieve its dream to be the hub of agriculture education in Fiji and the region.

Visiting NATI as part of a consultation programme by the FHEC, Mr Chand expressed his pride in the institute. “You have come a long way and will celebrate your centennial anniversary this year. Hearing your story, many people in Fiji don’t know who you are today as an institution,” Mr Chand explained.

The FHEC Chair received a brief from NATI Principal, Mr Saimoni Waibuta, on current programmes, development, and future plans. The institution is offering an attractive education package with incentives to start off their graduates.

“We train farmers, and we want our graduates to return to a piece of land and be its proud guardian. The number of farmers is decreasing in Fiji, and we want to address that national issue,” described Mr Waibuta.

Mr Waibuta also explained that they vision NATI to be the first choice for young people who wish to pursue agriculture training at this level.

FHEC Director, Dr Rohit Kishore highlighted that the programme at NATI should be more adequately marketed to secondary school students taking agriculture lessons.

In addition, Dr Kishore assured Mr Waibuta and his staff that they will receive the government grant they have applied for.

It’s the first time for NATI to be the recipient of the grant.

The Principal and teachers of Adi Cakobau School strongly believe that having specialized career teachers in secondary schools is vital. The sentiment is expressed to the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) Consultation team currently visiting secondary schools and higher education institutions in the Central/Eastern division.

Adi Cakobau is the first secondary school to be visited this week, and the participating teachers freely express themselves on skills training and education issues.

FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand explained that the same sentiment is received from other secondary schools they had visited and is grateful for the positive contributions from principals and teachers.

“Students are not given justice with the way career advice and education is currently provided,” Mr Chand further described.

FHEC Director, Dr Rohit Kishore agreed that the availability of professional career teachers will provide essential support to the students in their choice of subjects and help them make informed career paths.

Mr Chand said that talking to secondary school teachers provides the platform to hear from the general education practitioners on the ground who sometimes need to be heard. They carry out the hard yards and will be the best ones to identify issues and recommend how to address them.

Mr Chand further described that professional intervention in career education at secondary schools is a thematic area to look at when addressing skills education and training in Fiji.

The Minister for Education, Hon Aseri Radrodro, is relying on the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) to create and implement the necessary interventions and strategies to tackle some of the challenges faced in the education sector.

“Essential issues needing to be addressed include literacy and numeracy, skills education and training, having the right graduates from our institutions, and an appreciation of Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” the Minister pointed out.

At the FHEC Secretariat’s Office, Minister Radrodro received an update from the FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand, on the current activities of the Commission. Mr Chand also gave a progress brief on the initial findings from the current consultation with schools and higher education institutions on skills education and training, alongside recommendations of potential policies for realignment and reforms.

“We look forward to presenting our findings at the upcoming Education Summit,” said Mr Chand.

The Minister thanked the FHEC for the hard work done so far in supporting the Education sector, expressing his confidence and belief in their work. He reiterated the importance of the FHEC’s role, stating that their contributions were vital in creating higher-quality access to equitable education and training.