SUCCESSIVE governments since independence have had a mutually productive, co-operative and cordial relationship with religious bodies running educational institutions, says Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka.
In a statement issued this week, Mr Rabuka said this was done through dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.
Last week, representatives from faith-based schools around the country met Education Ministry permanent secretary Alison Burchell where the head of the Catholic Church in Fiji, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, made a proposal on behalf of religious organisations to add the faith-based merit criteria to Government’s open merit-based recruitment and selection guideline.
Mr Rabuka said the request made by Archbishop Chong for dialogue with Government on the open merit recruitment of head of schools was a genuine one which needed to be addressed with sensitivity and in good faith.
“The request is nothing to do with human rights or discrimination against any person,” he said. “It is a matter of principle and genuine occupational requirement given the nature of these schools, which are faith-based.”
