Some parents continue to raise concerns on the kindergarten fees they have to pay for their children in private kindergartens as there seems to be a lack of kindergartens in the greater Suva area.
Some parents who have spoken to Fijivillage say that they had no choice but paid up to $2,400 to $2,800 in kindergarten fees this year.
These parents have told us that they had started looking for kindergartens for their child from the second and third terms of school in 2018 and were told that there was no more space in the public kindergartens that they visited in Suva.
Some even told us that their child has been put into the waiting list and were told later that there is no space as the school term was coming to an end. These are the primary schools that have kindergartens.
Fijivillage also understands that a contributing factor to this issue is that not all primary schools in the greater Suva have kindergartens.
We have sent questions and made several attempts to question the Minister for Education on this issue including the level of kindergarten fees being charged. We have also asked her if the Ministry is planning to have kindergartens in all primary schools, but we have been told that she will be respond later.
Currently, the Ministry of Education oversees 875 kindergartens and 19,102 students.
This year they gave a subsidy of $2.8 million dollars towards the tuition fees of students enrolled in registered Early Childhood Education centers with an additional $300,000 given for construction of facilities and equipment.
Minister for Education, Rosy Akbar says children in recognised Early Childhood Education centres are provided free schooling and free transport.
