EDUCATION Ministry permanent secretary Alison Burchell said Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers did not have the correct qualifications.
She made the comments while responding to submissions from the Nausori headteachers association regarding the need to increase the salaries of ECE teachers.
During a recent meeting with school heads and managers, it was recommended that the salary of ECE teachers be reviewed because the current salary was drafted in 2017.
The school heads also recommended that the salary for ECE teachers must be reviewed and increased.
“The reason there has been a difference in salary compared to teachers in primary education because number one, ECE teachers work shorter hours and ECE teachers do not have the correct qualifications,” she said.
“They do not have qualifications in terms of ECE and early childhood education.
“Meanwhile, Fijian Teachers Association(FTA) general secretary Paula Manumanutoga said it was imperative for the ministry to assist ECE teachers who were already in the system to acquire the required and needed qualification.”
He reasoned early childhood education was the basis of a child’s learning journey and majority of what students learnt commenced from early childhood education.
Mr Manumanunitoga also reiterated that if students were not taught well at an early stage, it would be difficult for them to move up to higher grades.
Fiji Teachers Union general secretary Agni Deo Singh said it was the responsibility of the ministry to ensure that ECE teachers further upgrade their level of qualification.
Mr Singh said ECE teachers’ role was important and their interest must also be looked after.
