18 special schools have been built to cater for the accessibility needs of students with disabilities.
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro highlighted this while responding to a question by Opposition MP Hem Chand on what the Ministry is doing to ensure all special and inclusive schools have disability-friendly infrastructure, especially in rural and maritime areas where challenges such as limited trained teachers, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of specialised resources persist.
Radrodro emphasises that while there are infrastructure limitations, particularly in some inclusive schools, some mainstream schools have also introduced inclusive education measures.
Insert:Radrodro on specialized teachers 27th April
Meanwhile, Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma raised concerns about the financial impact of rising logistics costs, including fuel, freight and transportation, and questioned what mitigation plans are in place to ensure effective service delivery to maritime schools.
Sharma says there have been incidents where teachers have taken money out of their own pockets to ensure students receive what they need or that schools continue to operate smoothly.
Sharma also questioned whether the Ministry is considering introducing a staff reimbursement policy for such cases.
In response, Radrodro says staff reimbursement for civil servants is already covered under the Ministry of Finance Act.
He says if expenses are related to official duties and operations, provisions under the Act can be used by respective ministries to accommodate such cases.
Radrodro highlights that the Ministry is working to ensure learners in Fiji, including children with disabilities in rural, remote and maritime communities, have equitable access to quality education.
He says this aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Fiji’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly Article 24.
Radrodro adds that the Ministry’s inclusive education policy focuses on removing barriers within systems, attitudes and practices, while providing the necessary support for all learners to reach their full potential.
