|
|
Issue No: 638; 29 March 2001
The regime's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase has revealed that only 39% of the students given the lucrative awards have passed. As the Sabeto Primary School was closed by villagers demanding `goodwill' money, the regime's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase donated $6,110 from public funds to the Nabua Secondary School, which caters largely for ethnic Fijian students. According to today's Fiji Sun, making the donation, Qarase stated that of the 6,873 ethnic Fijian students who were given Fijian Affairs Board scholarships during the past 16 years under the special education scheme of the successive governments, only 2,708 pass. This is a pass rate of 39%. Qarase justified the pass rate: "even though the success rate of the [ethnic] Fijian students was low, it was acceptable given the background and hardships that our children and parents go through in terms of our current education system". The Fijian Affairs Board scholarships are the most lucrative scholarships of all scholarships given out by the government. Government education awards are of various categories. First, there is the Public Service Commission scholarships of which 50% are reserved for ethnic Fijian students. Holders of these awards have to repay the full sum in instalments after they graduate. In the mid 1980's the then government started a Fijian Affairs Board scholarship which caters exclusively for ethnic Fijian students. These award holders are not required to repay any portion of the award. The value of the FAB scholarships is also more than the other scholarships. It includes funds for local transportation and incidental allowances before students start their studies. PSC scholarship holders who study at the USP's Agriculture School in Samoa, for example, are required to pay their own way to Samoa while the FAB scholarship holders not only get their air fares paid, but also get $300 for incidental expenses before they reach the university. Third comes the multi-ethnic affairs scholarship which caters for non-ethnic Fijian students, but which are low in value. Such scholarships often only cover tuition fees and are primarily geared towards sending students towards Fiji Institute of Technology and other sub-tertiary institutions. Fourth is a loan scheme which caters for all students who are in financial hardship. The People's Coalition Government was in the process of streamlining the scholarships with a view to making funded education available to all students who could not afford these, irrespective of ethnicity. The Qarase regime, on the other hand, is further racialising
education in Fiji by ensuring that ethnic Fijians get all the funds which they
desire, while ethnic Indian students get deprived of education. By
institutionalising such discrimination, it hopes that it will bring about a
`balance' in educational achievements in Fiji. |
|
People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
