MOE to ensure they continue to respond to the needs of students who have qualified for tertiary - Radrodro

The Ministry of Education will ensure that they continue to be dynamic, and consultative and respond to the needs of our children who have the intention and have qualified to enter tertiary studies but miss out due to financial restrictions.

While making his Ministerial statement today, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro says the launching of the TSLS Community awareness handbook reaffirms the commitment of the Coalition Government to provide opportunities to all the children of Fiji to access education without worry over financial burdens, often related to tertiary studies.

Radrodro says the Coalition Government has announced new scholarship policies for the 2024-2025 financial year, with $150.5 million allocated to sponsor 10,830 new students and 9,940 current sponsored students.

He says the government has doubled undergraduate overseas schemes to provide skills in areas not offered locally.

He adds two new overseas schemes, the Cost Sharing Overseas PhD Masters Scholarship and Merit-Based Postgraduate Diploma/Specialisation In-Service Overseas scholarships, are being introduced in the new financial year.

Radrodro says the 2024-2025 Budget includes 30 TSLS-sponsored graduates undergoing training and starting a business through the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.

The Minister says the Coalition Government is partnering with employers to offer a new Industry/Employer Based Skills Qualification Scheme, providing 300 students with training by Higher Education Commission-accredited employer-based providers.

Radrodro adds the Government of Fiji has strengthened the Scholarships, Scholarships and Study Loans (TSLS) Act and Policies to increase accountability checks on taxpayer investment through scholarships, study loans, and grant schemes.

He says the amendments include bond monitoring and travel clearance, penalties for non-served bonds, provision of sponsored graduate employment records, due diligence requirements for new funding programs, reporting on academically 'At Risk' students, and action on false scholarship information.

While responding to the statement, the Inia Seruiratu-led Bloc 16 Opposition member Hem Chand says, previously, all students meeting the educational requirements for any tertiary institution were given loans, which is not the case today.

Chand says there are many students who have received admission into programmes at universities and are studying privately because they did not qualify for scholarships or loans.

He says unfortunately, the Coalition Government has created an unsustainable financial model where every year, taxpayers fork out around $150 million for tertiary education which could have gone towards the public good, hospitals, roads, bridges and other important developments in Fiji.

Chand says the reality is that many of the graduates are now sitting at home without jobs and many more will be joining them.

Meanwhile, Ioane Naivalurua-led Bloc 9 Opposition member Mosese Bulitavu says the Ministerial statement by Radrodro was an educative one.

Bulitavu says the statement talked about how there are developments being made in this institution.

He adds that the recently announced budget has developed the four new scholarship schemes that are in the TSLS.

He says the value adding and expanding of the existing schemes is something that people are happy about as it considers other areas like the micro-qualification grant to mitigate shortage skills for labour and also targeting unemployed youths.