A Year 13 student of Adi Cakobau School has today stated that the current education system is one that is training them to pass exams and does not leave much room for anything else.
Lomani Rova who was a panelist at the Arts and Education Policy Dialogue Program at the Grand Pacific Hotel today also put the question as to why art is only being taught till Year 10.
Rova who is a former student of Natabua High School and Swami Vivekananda College adds that it is at these ages that students need an artistic outlet.
Rova believes that there are many creative individuals out there who really should be encouraged to major in art and could be roped into the Ministry of Education to work with the students.
Rova says she enjoys seeing friends create amazing art at their back of their exercise books but gets sad when they close them and say they are wasting time and have to get back to the subjects that can give them real job.
Legend FM News approached the Permanent Secretary for Education, Alison Burchell for her comments on the issues and questions raised by Rova but she stated that she had to listen to Rova’s presentation again.
The EU funded Valuing Voices Arts and Education Policy Dialogue Program involved students, youths and also representatives from the Fiji School of Blind, Conservatorium of Music, the Fiji Arts Council and Save the Children Fiji.
One of the aims of the event today was to allow children to speak out responsibly about opportunities and challenges in integrating arts and culture into the Fiji school curriculum.
