[EDLING:820] Fijian Language to be Compulsory

[Francis M Hult]

By way of the Lg-policy list...


> >From the Fiji Times,
>
> Fijian language to be compulsory
>  (Monday, May 16, 2005)
>
> BY the end of the year, a policy is expected to be passed to make
> compulsory the teaching of the Fijian language in all primary and
> secondary schools at all grades. But Education Minister Ro Teimumu Kepa
> said it would take a while to integrate the compulsory teaching of the
> Fijian language into the education system because they would have to start
> from class one to form seven.
>
> Assistant Culture and Heritage minister Nanise Nagusuca said a committee,
> which includes officers from two ministries, had been working on the
> policy which was expected to be tabled by the end of the year. Ro Teimumu
> said once the language was taught in schools, it would include Fijian
> customs and traditions.
>
> "It is a way for Fijians to know themselves because many Fijians do not
> know their language and their identity and it is really sad," she said.
> "We will also look at having the Hindi, Rotuman, Urdu and Tamil languages
> to be taught in the school curriculum." Ro Teimumu said there would not be
> any shortage of teachers of the language in schools because most teachers
> had been taught to teach Fijian while they were in teaching institutes. Ro
> Teimumu said the policy was expected to be completed soon and tabled in
> Cabinet for approval.
>
> Mrs Nagusuca said there was a high need for the policy in Fijian schools
> because many indigenous students had difficulty speaking and understanding
> their own language. She said many indigenous people now preferred to speak
> English at home to help their children with the language taught in their
> schools.
>
> "What they do not understand is that slowly they are losing their identity
> and getting to know less of the language and when it is not taught in
> school, it becomes a great problem," she said. She said many Fijians had
> low understanding of their language. BY the end of the year, a policy is
> expected to be passed to make compulsory the teaching of the Fijian
> language in all primary and secondary schools at all grades.
>
> But Education Minister Ro Teimumu Kepa said it would take a while to
> integrate the compulsory teaching of the Fijian language into the
> education system because they would have to start from class one to form
> seven. Assistant Culture and Heritage minister Nanise Nagusuca said a
> committee, which includes officers from two ministries, had been working
> on the policy which was expected to be tabled by the end of the year.
>
> Ro Teimumu said once the language was taught in schools, it would include
> Fijian cu stoms and traditions. "It is a way for Fijians to know
> themselves because many Fijians do not know their language and their
> identity and it is really sad," she said.
>
> "We will also look at having the Hindi, Rotuman, Urdu and Tamil languages
> to be taught in the school curriculum."
>
> Ro Teimumu said there would not be any shortage of teachers of the
> language in schools because most teachers had been taught to teach Fijian
> while they were in teaching institutes. Ro Teimumu said the policy was
> expected to be completed soon and tabled in Cabinet for approval.
>
> Mrs Nagusuca said there was a high need for the policy in Fijian schools
> because many indigenous students had difficulty speaking and understanding
> their own language. She said many indigenous people now preferred to speak
> English at home to help their children with the language taught in their
> schools.
>
> "What they do not understand is that slowly they are losing their identity
> and getting to know less of the language and when it is not taught in
> school, it becomes a great problem," she said. She said many Fijians had
> low understanding of their language.
>
>
> http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=21371