Upper classes should start introducing students to the Land Laws and Native Land Act - PM

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka supports the call that the iTaukei language should be made compulsory from class one to three, and adds the teaching of language should not be limited to vernacular and the upper classes should start introducing the Land Laws and Native Land Act.

Rabuka highlighted this in response to the statement made by the Great Council of Chiefs Ratu Viliame Seruvakula that it is sad that we have kids in the villages who cannot read the Bible in the iTaukei language.

The Prime Minister says education on land laws should follow so that when disputes come up later, people understand who is arguing with whom on what.

While briefing the media after day 1 of the GCC meeting at the Valenibose in Draiba, Ratu Viliame said the concerns that were raised in Deuba by the GCC were the concerns on culture and language because the teaching of the Fijian vernacular language was not compulsory.

He highlighted that as a result, some children nowadays do not know how to read in the iTaukei language.

Ratu Viliame says they have already established a Native Language Commission that will look into what goes into the iTaukei dictionary.

The Chair adds that the outcome or product of that will be making the iTaukei language compulsory from class one to class three.