Fiji’s Ministry of Education is set to review its education curriculum to better align with international university standards.
This comes after concerns were raised by Fijian students, studying overseas under the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service (TSLS), who reported significant gaps between what they had learned in secondary school and the demands of their university courses, particularly in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro, highlighted the issue during his ministerial statement to Parliament, following his recent visit to Australia.
“There is a vast difference between what is learnt in Year 13 in Fiji and what is taught in universities overseas,” Radrodro said.
He assured students that addressing this gap is a priority for the ministry, and the curriculum overhaul will cover all levels from early childhood education to senior secondary.
The announcement follows Radrodro’s visit to four Australian universities, including the University of New South Wales and the University of Canberra.
The curriculum review will be supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the Vuvale Partnership, which will also contribute to teacher training and the introduction of digital learning platforms for teachers and students.
Under the overseas scholarship schemes, TSLS funds programs that are part of national priority areas but are not offered by local universities. Currently, sixty (60) students are enrolled in fields such as Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Veterinary Science, Data Science, Actuarial Science, Forensic Science, Architectural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Speech Pathology, and Renewable Energy at universities in New Zealand and Australia.
