Education System in Fiji |
In Fiji, the role of government in education is to provide an environment in which children realize their full potential, and school is free from age 6 to 16. Primary schools are encouraged to develop in interaction with local communities, to be creative, and to find the different sparks that ignite the minds of every child.
High school education may continue for a total of 5 years following an entry examination. Students either leave after 3 years with a Fiji school leaving certificate, or remain on to complete their final 2 years and qualify for tertiary education.
Just a handful of secondary schools offer any form of vocational orientation and the system remains largely academic and examination orientated. The Fiji national training council has ambitious programs in place to correct this gap in line with internationally accepted standards.
Fiji Polytechnic School provides training in several trade and apprenticeship courses, and other shorter diplomas in engineering, hotel catering and business studies. There are also teacher training colleges, and other colleges specializing in agriculture, medicine and technology.
The University of the South Pacific which is funded internationally is dispersed throughout Oceania and enjoys a good reputation. Its Fiji campuses are located on Lautoka and and Kiribati Islands.