British High Commissioner to Fiji, Kanbar Hossein-Bor, hosted the inaugural stakeholder meeting for the “No Learner Left Behind” initiative, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, led by Aseri Radrodro, the Great Council of Chiefs and TSLS.
The initiative seeks to re-engage out-of-school youth, prevent dropouts, and create clear pathways to further learning, vocational training, and employment.
Guests also heard powerful success stories from the Matua Programme at Nabua Secondary School, a second-chance education programme for adult learners where former students shared how the programme transformed their lives, with many now serving Fiji as successful professionals — including lawyers, psychiatrists, business leaders, and tourism practitioners, among others.
Notable examples included Sikeli Ravuvu, who repeated Year 12 three times before graduating from the University of the South Pacific, and the 2025 Dux, 27-year-old mother Reapi Tabuaniviti, who excelled while balancing family responsibilities.
The programme’s strong results were highlighted by a Year 13 pass rate increase from 88% in 2024 to 96% in 2025.
Radrodro stressed that addressing the challenge requires united national action: “Bring them back. Reconnect them. Train them. Transition them. Employ them. And we must do it together.”
