Education - SODELPA

SODELPA 2026 Education Manifesto

Guarantee free basic education (primary + lower secondary) for all children, with no hidden costs, across urban, rural and maritime communities.
Prioritise remote and island communities: mobile schooling, transport support, e-learning backup for geography-challenged regions.
Ensure inclusive education: build accessible infrastructure (ramps, adapted toilets, support for students with disabilities) as part of all school upgrades.

Launch a National School Infrastructure Programme: rebuild or refurbish schools that are overcrowded, termite-infested, structurally unsound. (E.g., the Suva–Nausori audit found many schools with major defects.)
Set minimum standards for learning spaces: classroom size, ventilation, sanitary facilities (especially toilets for female students, disability access).
Integrate climate-resilience & disaster-preparedness: school buildings designed for cyclones, floods, coastal risks; emergency evacuation readiness.
Improve teacher housing and amenities in rural/outer-islands so posting becomes attractive.

Conduct a major Curriculum Review to ensure relevance to 21st-century skills: digital literacy, critical thinking, vocational links, cultural context (iTaukei, Indo-Fijian, Rotuman languages & traditions).
Strengthen foundational literacy & numeracy in early years: ensure students entering Year 8 have the basics. (National data show weak foundation skills are an issue.)
Expand Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) options early (junior secondary) and link to jobs and industries in Fiji and the region.
Encourage STEM and digital education: equip schools with internet connectivity, computers/devices, teacher training for digital pedagogy.
Promote community, cultural and environmental education: local knowledge, climate resilience, marine/land stewardship embedded in curriculum.

Increase investment in teacher professional development: continuous training, mentoring, leadership programmes for principals.
Improve teacher deployment: incentives for postings in rural/remote areas, scholarship-return obligations for specialist teachers.
Strengthen school leadership and accountability: Principals and heads must be supported and held accountable for learning outcomes; build data-driven monitoring. (Noted by Education Minister as weak in some schools.)

Strengthen school-community partnerships: parent associations, vanua leaders, village committees engaged in school governance, infrastructure maintenance, student wellbeing.
Introduce attendance & engagement incentives: attendance-based support rather than purely grant-based that may be mis-used. Fiji Sun
Promote values of education in the home and community: campaigns to reinforce the value of schooling and reduce drop-out, especially in vulnerable zones.

Restore the real value of the Free Education Grant (FEG) by indexing to inflation and increasing funding so schools can meet operational and maintenance costs.
Introduce transparent data-systems: publish school performance, infrastructure status, teacher deployment, attendance figures and outcomes — to engage public oversight.
Explore public–private partnerships (PPP) or donor partnerships for digital infrastructure, school-modernisation, remote-learning platforms.
Encourage innovation: pilot programmes for blended learning (online + face-to-face), rural e-school hubs, satellite school networks for outer islands.

Provide targeted resources/support for highest-need schools (HOPE schools) which underperform repeatedly: additional teachers, tutoring programmes, remedial support.
Gender equity: ensure all schools have proper sanitation for girls, promote girls in STEM and leadership roles.
Outer-islands & maritime schools: dedicated funding, transport/logistics support, boarding options, remote-teacher incentives.
Cultural & language inclusion: ensure education respects and properly includes indigenous languages, culture, traditions, and that students of all backgrounds feel included.

First year (2026): Launch infrastructure audit of all schools, prioritise 50 highest-risk schools for upgrades; begin curriculum review; pilot blended digital learning in 10 remote locations; increase teacher‐training budget by 20%.
Years 2-4 (2027-2029): Roll out refurbishments/new-builds to at least 200 schools; expand TVET options in 50 junior secondary schools; reduce student-teacher ratio in identified underperforming schools; publish annual education performance report.
Year 5 (2030): Achieve measurable improvements: e.g., national Year 8 pass rate above X%; reduce drop-out rate in rural/outer islands by Y%; all schools meeting basic infrastructure standards; digital connectivity in all secondary schools.

Key performance indicators might include:

It aligns with values of equity, inclusion, and strong community/vanua involvement.
It addresses both urban and rural/maritime needs, which is consistent with a party aiming to serve all Fijians.
It emphasises capacity-building and self-reliance (teacher development, local leadership), rather than external dependency.
It provides a forward-looking, modern education vision (digital literacy, TVET) which can drive long-term national development.