Fiji's Soaring

School Enrolment Creates Problem

From Alan Spark, in Suva The report of Fiji’s Education Department for 1965 takes note of the fact that last year the Colony’s school rolls passed 100,000 for the first time.

WHILE the passing of this figure might mark a milestone in Fiji’s education history, it might be more correctly said to underline the serious social problems being created by the Colony’s expanding popula tion.

Fiji is in fact fast approaching the stage where one-quarter of the popu lation of the islands will be either in schools or seeking education.

Last year, with an increase of nearly six per cent, over the 1964 figure, the school population reached 102,498. Allow a similar increase this year and this would make the school roll about 108,500.

With an estimated total population of around 665,000, this means that just over 23 per cent, of the people of Fiji are going to school.

The percentage of the population at school has been steadily creeping up over the years.

Enrolment Doubles

Over the last 15 years the school population has almost doubled, but by far the most remarkable increase has been in secondary r 0115—1,759 in 1951 and last year 7,566.

Educating all these children is a big problem, but an even bigger one is what to do with the thousands leaving school every year.

With well over 1,000 gaining examination qualifications last year, the problem of placing those who leave school without sitting for examinations must be more acute than ever.

The school rolls last year were made up of 93,983 at primary schools, 7,566 at secondary schools, 696 at technical and vocational schools and 255 training as teachers.

Excluding 27 kindergartens, there were 639 schools scattered over 55 of the 320 islands in the Fiji Group.

These schools were staffed by 3,128 teachers, of whom 2,503 (80 per cent.) were trained.

Apart from the substantial increase

in the total roll, the main advance during the year was a marked reduction in education charges.

From January, 1965, after the Legislative Council adopted the report of the Fiscal Review Committee, the contribution required of non-Government school committees towards the salaries of Government teachers in their employ was reduced from 25 per cent, to about 10 per cent.

Tuition fees in Government primary schools were reduced.

Remission of fees in Government secondary schools was abolished and replaced by a free-place scheme for both Government and aided secondary schools.

Under this scheme 695 pupils were

awarded free and partly-free places in secondary schools at a total cost of just under £20,000.

The number of overseas scholar ships held by Fiji students continued to rise. Some 183 students were studying on scholarships with a mini mum duration of one year, In the secondary schools entrance examination the number of passes rose from 1,223 in 1964, to 1,897.

There is no room for complacency, however. As the report says, “. . . the amount of supervision and guidance which can be given is still restricted and the need both for improving standards and for expand ing facilities, particularly at the post primary level, is still great”.