Education Ministry staff have been directed to work more closely with school heads in arranging the delivery of free textbooks and e-Transport cards so that students could hit the ground running when they return to school on 15th January next year.
At a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Education Attorney‑General and Education Minister Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum set out strict deliverables for the distribution of textbooks and e-Transport cards to students before the start of the 2018 School Year, and instructed that remaining vacancies for school heads and classroom teachers be filled with qualified applicants as soon as possible.
He emphasised that ministry officials required timely and up‑to‑date information from school heads, especially given the unprecedented pay rises for school heads announced in the latest national budget.
To boost accountability, the Attorney General also requested that yearly records on the maintenance of textbooks and timely requests of textbooks be included as Key Performance Indicators for school heads, as well as for Education Resource Staff.
Sayed-Khaiyum says they cannot allow systemic issues and bureaucratic obstacles within the Ministry of Education to limit outcomes in the classroom.
In order to fill outstanding vacancies for classroom teachers in primary schools, Sayed-Khaiyum has also directed education staff to hold consultations with Fiji National University and other institutions to ensure aspiring teachers receive their final test results by late December, so that they can be screened and appointed before the start of Term 1.
Sayed Khaiyum has also instructed the Ministry of Education Head Office to ensure that a proper logistical plan is in place and that relevant information is made available to parents, so that schools can work with parents to ensure all primary school students receive their e-Transport cards on time.
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