Curriculum does not meet job market - Namataku District School Head

The Head of School at Namataku District School in Navosa Tomasi Toganivalu is calling for a review of the education curriculum so that it meets the job market of today.

While contributing to the public consultation on the Education Act 1966 in Navosa, Toganivalu, says the curriculum being followed nowadays does not meet the job market at the secondary and primary levels because it focuses on core subjects and has very little to do with practical subjects.

He says this needs to be re-looked at, and the curriculum should meet the job market.

Speaking in the iTaukei language, he says that the 1966 Act does not elaborate on the guidelines or actions a school should take if a student commits a crime within school boundaries.

He is urging the Ministry to incorporate the guidelines in the new Act.

The Head of the School adds that faith-based schools have taken the first step to incorporate spiritual learning in their curriculum, and if the government truly wants to see a change in students' behaviours, school chaplains should be well looked after.

He says one of the failures of the previous government is that they stopped paying school chaplains from the Free Education Grants.

He also called for the return of corporal punishment in schools because, during their schooling days, students were disciplined through the use of corporal punishment, and this also helped them achieve a better life.

Toganivalu says he has been part of the Vanua district meetings, and the elders and leaders support the return of corporal punishment.

He also stressed the need for spiritual learning to be incorporated into the national education curriculum to help solve the issues happening in schools.