A whinge for today

from w
Sobosobo, the priority I think is health, education, infrastructure such as roads, water, etc. and as the President of the Fijian Teachers Association says, no way should the education budget be cut by sacking teachers. Already some children are in classes of up to seventy children and that is absolutely untenable. Cut the budget elsewhere....and it's obvious where it should be... but not in the schools!From FijiSun today:
Leave teachers out of cuts, says union

12/8/2008
Government should exclude the education ministry from the budget reduction by 10 per cent said Fijian Teachers Association president, Tevita Koroi yesterday.
He said 1300 positions would be disestablished when the civil service reform is completed.

Speaking at the Civil Service Excellence Awards on Friday night, minister for indigenous affairs Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said the reforms would save the interim government $21 million.

Mr Koroi pleaded with the government not to include the education ministry in the 10 per cent reduction. “It will affect the quality of service in schools,” he said.“As a result students are affected by this. The 10 per cent reduction means there will be a $20 million reduction in the ministry of education’s budget.

“900 teaching positions will be affected and this is a huge number for a small country. So for the sake and future of our children we are asking the government to exclude the education ministry in the proposed public service reform.”

Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions general secretary Attar Singh said removing that amount of people would definitely affect the quality of services.“The government is making announcements and going ahead with its decisions,” said Mr Singh. However, it has yet to consult unions on this proposal.”