Fijian teachers doing well despite protest By FARISHA AHMED and WATI TALEBULA The Fijian volunteer teachers are doing well in Vanuatu despite a protest from the local teachers union there. The Vanuatu Teachers’ Union had earlier criticised the bilateral agreement on Radio New Zealand saying local teachers should be given jobs first. However Chargé d’Affaires of the Vanuatu High Commission in Fiji Richard Balkonan, in a statement on Monday morning, highlighted the shortage of teachers at the beginning of the Vanuatu academic year this week. Mr Balkonan said the Fijian teachers were welcomed at the Bauerfield Airport last Saturday by the Minister for Education, Bob Loughman and other government officials. “The teachers’ safety was never in doubt, as otherwise they would not have been allowed to leave Fiji (to enter Vanuatu) in the first place,” Mr Balkonan said. While the academic year for Vanuatu had started on February 3, 2014, the Fijian volunteer teachers are expected to commence teaching from February 10. They have been contracted for two years. “This initial deployment of the nine Teachers under the Fiji Volunteer Scheme (FVS) has been a successful example of south-south Cooperation,” Mr Balkonan said. “The Vanuatu Government sincerely thanks the Fiji Government, under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister, Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama for the vision and service to the region.” fijisun.fj/2014/02/05/fijian-teachers-doing-well-despite-protest/
Posted on: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:07:17 +0000