Articles from Fiji
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Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 19 August 2025 Building momentum for public education in the Pacific
Education unions from across the Pacific region – Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu – met to address the ongoing worldwide teacher shortages, calling governments and international institutions to prioritize public education and invest in teachers, echoing the United Nations (UN) recommendations on the teaching profession .
Building momentum for public education in the Pacific -
Standards and working conditions 31 July 2025 Education voices | Rising against the drive to commercialise higher education in Fiji
Rosalia Fatiaki
This testimony was collected as part of the research project entitled “In the eye of the storm: Higher education in an age of crises” conducted by Howard Stevenson, Maria Antonietta Vega Castillo, Melanie Bhend, and Vasiliki-Eleni Selechopoulou for Education International. The research report and executive summary are available here .
Education voices | Rising against the drive to commercialise higher education in Fiji -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 27 March 2025 Tackling the teacher shortage crisis in the Commonwealth
Oliver Mawhinney
44 million teachers are need globally by 2030 – a shortage that affects developing and developed countries alike, as demonstrated across the Commonwealth.
Tackling the teacher shortage crisis in the Commonwealth -
Standards and working conditions 24 February 2025 Fired for speaking up against a dictatorial Vice Chancellor
Tamara Osborne-Naikatini
Working as a Biology lecturer at the University of the South Pacific (USP) has always been a labour of love for me. Spread over thousands of kilometers of oceanic expanse and hundreds of lush tropical islands, spanning twelve countries in the (generally) South Pacific region, the university’s domain is truly...
Fired for speaking up against a dictatorial Vice Chancellor -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 29 September 2023 Copyright in education: bringing the classroom to life
Dr Dara Dimitrov
As the daughter of a refugee, education as a necessity was drummed into me. ‘You need to get a good education’ was my father’s lead mantra. My father was denied that right, and although he spoke seven languages, he could barely read one. My father saw education as a way...
Copyright in education: bringing the classroom to life -
Climate action and literacy 17 August 2023 Pacific educators stand in solidarity for climate justice and a just transition in first-ever climate conference
Pacific educators affirmed their commitment to climate justice and to advance a just transition during a conference hosted by Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) and the Council of Pacific Educators (COPE) in Lautoka, Fiji on May 23-25, 2023.
Pacific educators stand in solidarity for climate justice and a just transition in first-ever climate conference -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 14 April 2023 Great steps forward for teaching and research at the World Intellectual Property Organisation
The 43rd meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) concluded with major wins for the rights of teachers and researchers to adapt and choose materials for quality education and research. Education International participated together with member organisations CONADU (Argentina), AUSPS (Fiji),...
Great steps forward for teaching and research at the World Intellectual Property Organisation -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 24 November 2022 The Copyright Experience of the University of the South Pacific: a Union Perspective
Elizabeth Reade Fong
Legislation is meant not only to protect but to bring equity. And copyright legislation is not meant to be any different. However, the reality on the ground in a developing country like Fiji has only reinforced the inequity of access to and, more importantly, the use of information for learning...
The Copyright Experience of the University of the South Pacific: a Union Perspective -
Union renewal and development 12 June 2022 Solidarity sparks union renewal programme in Asia-Pacific
Thanks to the support of the Australian Education Union (AEU), the Education International’s Asia-Pacific (EIAP) regional office/Council of Pacific Education (COPE) was able to organise a strategic planning meeting on trade union renewal for members of the Fiji Teachers’ Union and the Fijian Teachers’ Association.
Solidarity sparks union renewal programme in Asia-Pacific -
Leading the profession 4 February 2022 Fiji: Teachers’ union sharp reply to Minister on undermining the positions of school leaders
The Fiji Teachers’ Union (FTU) has responded firmly to the announcement by Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar , on 20 January of a change in the minimum qualification requirement (MQR) for secondary school leadership positions. In particular, the union condemned the change as sudden and insufficiently motivated...
Fiji: Teachers’ union sharp reply to Minister on undermining the positions of school leaders -
Trade union rights are human rights 24 November 2021 Fiji: Minister’s “belittling attacks” on teachers’ professionalism must cease immediately
The Fiji Teachers’ Union (FTU) is urging public authorities to put a halt to the belittling of educators’ qualifications and professionalism in the public media.
Fiji: Minister’s “belittling attacks” on teachers’ professionalism must cease immediately -
Equity and inclusion 26 October 2021 Fiji: Young activists ready to take up the union torch
Inspiring young educators to improve and develop trade union work in Fiji was the aim of a dedicated training event organised by the Council of Pacific Education (COPE) in October 2020.
Fiji: Young activists ready to take up the union torch -
Union growth 16 February 2021 Fiji: Trade union solidarity as two cyclones hit Pacific island
Education unions in the Pacific region have stepped in to support Fijian colleagues in a country devastated by two tropical cyclones in December and January.
Fiji: Trade union solidarity as two cyclones hit Pacific island -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 4 February 2020 The John Thompson Fellowship training, instrumental to developing unions and teacher quality in the Pacific
Education unionists from five Pacific Island countries benefited from training under the framework of the John Thompson Fellowship Programme. They were supported in building a stronger voice for teachers and a stronger representation to contribute to education reforms.
The John Thompson Fellowship training, instrumental to developing unions and teacher quality in the Pacific -
Fighting the commercialisation of education 18 October 2019 Public education systems in Pacific plagued by commercial activity, new EI report finds
“Commercial Activity in Pacific Education”, an Education International report examining the extent of privatisation and commercialisation in education in the region, was launched today at the conference of the Council of Pacific Education.
Public education systems in Pacific plagued by commercial activity, new EI report finds -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 8 October 2019 #youngteachers “Finding the balance: my passion as a teacher and its workload”, by Petero Sanele Kubunavanua (FTA, Fiji).
Petero Sanele Kubunavanua
I was impressed by the way my teachers, both in Primary and Secondary schools, had taught me. The way they taught was very motivating and contagious. That inspired me to be like them when I grew up.
#youngteachers “Finding the balance: my passion as a teacher and its workload”, by Petero Sanele Kubunavanua (FTA, Fiji). -
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 12 September 2019 “Copyright Issues and Teachers' Dilemma in Asia Pacific”, by Dr. Robert Jeyakumar.
Dr. Robert Jeyakumar
I woke up in Budapest on a fine summer morning to deliver a lecture using materials I had prepared in Malaysia in accordance with copyright exceptions allowed in Malaysia. Just before the lecture, I was informed that my materials did not conform to copyright laws in the EU. Dismay! This...
“Copyright Issues and Teachers' Dilemma in Asia Pacific”, by Dr. Robert Jeyakumar. -
Equity and inclusion 17 December 2018 Fiji: education unionists seek inclusive schools that are a safe environments for all
The Education International’s Asia-Pacific office and the Council of Pacific Education (COPE) organised in Fiji a professional development workshop, “Teachers unions for inclusion: embracing diversity and promoting safe schools”.
Fiji: education unionists seek inclusive schools that are a safe environments for all