740 primary school students dropped out of school last year, compared to 1,200 in 2024, while 400 secondary school students dropped out last year, compared to 869 the previous year.
This has been confirmed by Education Minister Aseri Radrodro while responding to a question by Opposition MP Vijay Nath who has highlighted in Parliament that they have seen a number of young students who should be in school but are on the streets.
Radrodro says persistent learning difficulties, disengagement, economic pressure and a lack of suitable pathways can contribute to students leaving school early.
He says schools are expected to monitor attendance and student welfare concerns, engage parents and guardians, and refer cases requiring additional support.
The Minister says financial assistance is being provided to students which includes the free education grant, transport assistance and the $200 back-to-school assistance.
He further says for the 2026 school year, $41.8 million in back-to-school assistance has been paid out to 208,764 students.
He adds that the 2026–27 National Budget provides $54 million for blue and yellow student cards and continues the free education grant.
Radrodro says the Government has also introduced the Education Bill 2026 which introduces a comprehensive legal framework covering early childhood, primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education, and higher education.
Radrodro also says the Ministry has implemented the Student Progression and Retention Policy, which provides a clear framework for assessing student progress and ensures decisions on student advancement or repetition are made collaboratively by parents, students, teachers and heads of schools.
He says internal assessments have also been introduced as part of the criteria for student performance, with both classroom-based assessments and examination marks being considered.
Radrodro says the Ministry has established new secondary and infant schools to address logistical challenges faced by students.
He says the Ministry has also conducted visits to schools around Fiji and held discussions with students, teachers and the Vanua on the importance of education and completing school.
The Minister says the Government is also reviewing the retirement age for teachers to help address teacher shortages and retain experienced education professionals in schools.
He says the Government is also focusing on literacy and numeracy, curriculum relevance, strengthening vocational opportunities and the Matua Programme.
The Minister says the Ministry continues to improve the quality of teachers through training, professional development and international collaboration.
Radrodro says more than 14,000 teachers hold Bachelor of Education degrees, more than 3,000 hold postgraduate diplomas and more than 1,200 have master's degrees.
He says this ensures students are supported by teachers who are qualified and continue to advance their professional expertise.
