Over 5,000 Students Drop Out Before Year 10

Over 5,000 students have dropped out of school in the past five years before completing their Year 10 education, while an additional 4,589 left before finishing primary school.

Minister for Education, Mr Aseri Radrodro, states that 5,726 students were identified as unregistered in the Ministry’s Management Information System Database between 2019 to 2023.

Radrodro explained that while the specific reasons for student dropouts are not detailed in the Fiji Education Management Information System (FEMIS), schools have reported various factors contributing to this trend.

These include the death of a family member, migration, transfers from public to private schools, formal and informal employment opportunities, and medical conditions.

He emphasized that the reasons for dropout are complex and multifaceted.

To address the issue, the Ministry utilizes FEMIS to track cases of frequent or prolonged absenteeism and to identify children facing learning difficulties.

Additionally, teachers, child protection officers, and school heads collect crucial information regarding the personal circumstances of students, including family challenges such as migration, domestic violence, single-parent households, and legal conflicts.

Minister Radrodro highlighted the importance of a collaborative effort to support these at-risk students.

The Education Minister emphasized that aiding these students necessitates a united effort from government agencies, civil society, churches, religious organizations, and families to adopt a proactive approach in supporting the Ministry.