1. education

ANZ 115th
FIJI PRINCIPALS
ASSOCIATION
CONFERENCE
22-23 APRIL 2015
ICT CENTRE
UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER FOR
EDUCATION, NATIONAL HERITAGE,
CULTURE AND ARTS
Dr Mahendra Reddy
I am indeed pleased to contribute to the edition of the 115th Fiji Principals
Association Conference Booklet and provide an insight to the current
leaders of secondary education in Fiji.
I must acknowledge that the Fiji Principals Association Conference is a
Professional Educational Leaders Conference and it is a uniquely
comprehensive event that is the result of the coordinated efforts of School
Principals within Fiji.
The Conference has established itself as an important forum for the
secondary school leaders to gather and exchange ideas about issues,
challenges and educational dynamics in Fiji.
What really matters to people in our society and communities that
characterizes greatness is not so much of what you acquire and achieve as
an individual, or how much you possess to enrich your own lives but it is
how much you can give or contribute to the success of others.
A good leader will inspire hope, ignite the imagination, instill the love for
learning, inspire the passion for success, impart the courage to endure
hardship and develop the faith to accomplish the impossible.
Fiji is now a fairer, a more just, and a more compassionate society. And
against the backdrop of a rapidly strengthening economy, our war against
poverty, crime, sickness and climate change will soon prevail if we make
changes in education work for us and not against us.
With the theme “Re – Defining Quality Education”, I am absolutely certain
that the culmination of this Annual Conference will allow you to question
the current body of knowledge with regard to the work that you do and the
broader field of secondary education.
I hope that together we will work concertedly towards our common goal
and purpose and that is to provide quality education for change, peace and
progress. I wish the Fiji Principals Association a fruitful and productive
conference in the two days event.
Honourable Dr. Mahendra Reddy
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts
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CONFERENCE PROGRAM
7.30-8.30am
Registration
8.40-8.45am
Arrival of Chief Guest
Principal Marist Cham Inst.
8.45-9.00
Choir Item & Devotion
Rev. Iliesa Naivalu
National Anthem — Led by Choir
9.00-9.15am
President’s Address:
Principal Lelean Memorial School
Rev. Colati Ledua.
9.15-9.55am
Keynote Address: Prof. Rajesh Chandra
Vice Chancellor - USP
Principal Gospel High
9.55-10am
Vote of Thanks
Principal Suva Grammar Sch.
10-10.30am
Morning Tea [USP Cafeteria - Vouchers]
10.30-10.45am Sponsor session 1 — BSP Life
10.45-11.30am ASPECTS OF QUALITY EDUCATION - Q & A
Speaker: Dr Salanieta Bakalevu
Principal Adi Cakobau
11.30-11.45am Sponsor session 2 — LICI
11.45-12.30pm POLICIES THAT IMPACT QUALITY
EDUCATION - Q & A
Speaker: Dr Akhila Nand Sharma
Principal Dudley High
12.30-12.45pm Sponsor session 3 — VODAFONE
12.45-2.00pm
Lunch [USP Cafeteria - Vouchers]
2.00-2.15pm
Sponsor session 4 - CREST CHICKEN
2.15-3.00pm
STANDARDS OF QUALITY EDUCATION - Q & A Principal Marist Brothers
Speaker: Dr Richard Wah
3.00-4.00PM
PRINCIPALS NETWORKING—Evaluating
current practices & FPA REGISTRATION
Constitutional review
4.00-4.15
Sponsor session 5 - TFL
6.30-9.30pm
Conference Dinner and Awards
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Chairperson:
President FPA
Vine Yard Palace
Victoria Parade, Suva
PROGRAM—DAY 2
8.00-8.25am
Tour of booths
8.25-8.30am
Devotion
8.30-9.15am
IMPLEMENTING AND SUSTAINING QUALITY
EDUCATION. Speaker: Mrs Kelera Taloga
9.15-9.30am
Q & A session
9.30-9.45am
Sponsor session 6 - FHL
9.45-10.15am
Morning Tea [USP Cafeteria - Vouchers]
10.15-11.15am
Business Session
Mr Mika Mudreilagi
Mr Colati Ledua
11.15-11.30am Sponsor session 7 - ANZ
11.15-12.45pm Ministry of Education Session
12.45-1.15pm
Launch of FPA Website & Closing of Conference
by Minister for Education
1.30pm
Lunch [USP Cafeteria - Vouchers]
End of Conference
FPA EXECUTIVES
President Colati Ledua
Lelean Memorial School
Secretary Miriama Naicegucegu
Yat Sen Secondary School
Salote Nawalowalo
[Retired]
John Atalifo
Marist Brothers High
Daiana Nainoca
Gospel High School
Napolioni Silatolu
Dudley High School
Treasurer Waisake Ravatu
[Retired]
Francis Varea
Marist Champagnat
Mikaele Mudreilagi
Basden Anglican College
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Mereoni Motukiliu
DAV College
Laisa Soko
Adi Cakabau School
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
FIJI PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION
Mr Colati Ledua
I am indeed humbled to be at the helm of leadership for the Fiji Principal
Association for the upcoming 115th Conference especially when we are
going through the reforms which I believe will bring about the desired
products within our education system.
The association has come a long way in its existence and has weathered
multiple storms of changes along the way. We now stand proud as a result
of the sacrifices of our predecessors and the commitment and support we
continually receive from the Ministry of Education. As a professional
organisation, we always believe in mutual partnership and working
cooperatively with all the stake holders that we interact with; parents;
school management; old scholars and most importantly the Ministry of
Education.
Redefining Education as a theme for this conference augurs well with the
reforms initiated by the Honourable Minister of Education. As
implementers of the reforms; school Principals should be in the forefront of
ensuring the delivery of quality education to students under our care. This
conference hopefully will equip the school Principal to be confident in
reassessing their leadership qualities; and also be confident in carrying out
the reforms successfully without fear.
My best wishes to all the participants and may we enjoy our fellowship for
the next two days.
Colati Ledua (Rev)
President
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CHIEF GUEST
DR RAJESH CHANDRA
REDEFINING QUALITY
EDUCATION
Rajesh Chandra is a Fijian academic who in February 2005 was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of the newly founded University of
Fiji. He is at present Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific.
Chandra was born in Maro in Nadroga Navosa Province. He completed
his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of the South Pacific with
distinction. and holds a PhD in Industrial/Development Geography,
which he completed between 1981 and 1985 at the University of British
Columbia. He is the author of more than 45 articles in academic journals and books. He is also the author or editor of five books, including
Industrialization and Development in the Third World and An Atlas of
Fiji, which is used as a textbook in all Fijian secondary schools.
Chandra served on the staff of the University of the South Pacific
(USP), Fiji's older university, from 1975 to 2005, before taking up the
Vice-Chancellorship of the new University of Fiji. He was Deputy ViceChancellor at the USP for nine years, and also served for three years as
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Director
of Planning and Development. From 1987 to 1988, he was Head of the
School of Social and Economic Development, and from 1994 to 1996, of
the Geography Department.
Chandra served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of
the Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium (CUSAC)
from 1999 to 2003. He has been a visiting professor or research fellow at
numerous institutions, including McGill University, the Macmillan
Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, the National
Centre for Development Studies of the Australian National University,
and the Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center,
in Honolulu.
Dr Chandra is married with two children, a boy and a girl.
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DR SALANIETA BAKALEVU
DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF QUALITY EDUCATION
Dr Salanieta Bakalevu is a Fijian educator and
presently lecturer in mathematics education at the
University of the South Pacific (USP), Fiji.
Dr Bakalevu obtained her undergraduate degree and
teaching qualification from the University of the
South Pacific, and Ph.D (Mathematics Education)
at the University of Waikato.
Taught in secondary schools in Fiji for several years
and was involved with the Curriculum Development
Unit as a Curriculum officer, before moving into the
higher levels of teaching at tertiary education.
At the USP Dr Bakalevu has been involved in the
as instructional designer at the Distance & Flexible
Learning Centre. She was also Head of the Learning
Centre at the Fiji Institute of Technology.
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DR AKHILA NAND SHARMA
POLICIES THAT IMPACT
QUALITY EDUCATION
After teaching for 46 years at various levels of the education system in Fiji
[primary, secondary and tertiary], Associate Professor Akhila Nand Sharma
finally retired from the University of the South Pacific’s School of Education
on 31 March 2015. In a warm farewell ceremony, the members of the School of
Education described him as a competent, pleasant and helpful teacher and
leader. In his departing address, he said he always loved his students and
colleagues as well as his work and the institution. “This was a key to my success
and survival for 46 years” he said.
He was trained as a primary school teacher’ then took his first degree in
secondary teaching, with postgraduate diploma in education from Massey
University (NZ). His MEd degree from the University of New England (Aust.)
thesis was on “Multi-craft in Fijian Secondary Schools”. His Doctor of
Education from Bristol University (UK) included coursework and a thesis on
TVET in Fijian Secondary Schools. This was subsequently published as a book
(2000) entitled ‘Vocational Education and Training in Fiji: Management at the
Secondary School level’. He obtained a diploma in labour studies and
cooperation in the service of development from the Asian-Afro Institute in
Israel in 1984.
Early in his career he taught at all levels of primary education and then served
as a secondary school principal for twelve years, while at tertiary he taught for
26 years in the School of Education of the University of the South Pacific.
As the Head of School of Education, he was a member of several regional
organizations including the coordinator of the teacher education for USPACCU ESD Project and a member of Pacific Association of Teacher
Educators. He was a member of: USP Senate, ASQC, FALE Executive
Committee, and FALE Flexi-school committee, PRIDE Management
Committee, SOE Research and Postgraduate Committee, SOE Teaching &
Learning Committee.
In the inaugural USP/AusAid Distance and Flexible Learning showcase in
March 2004, he was awarded the first prize for his excellent innovations and
teaching in distance and flexible learning.
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DR RICHARD WAH
STANDARDS OF
QUALITY EDUCATION
Dr Richard Wah has led the Fiji Higher Education Commission as its
founding chair since 2010. He has worked and presented papers in over 25
countries in topics ranging from distance education, educational assessment,
monitoring and evaluation, qualification frameworks and IT management
systems in education especially with regards to EFA goals, and presented
over 20 papers in international conferences and invited presentations.
Richard was a founding coordinator of the World Health Organisation’s
Pacific Open Learning HealthNet and has been a founding co-Vice Chair of
the Commonwealth of Learning’s Transnational Qualifications Framework.
Richard’s undergraduate degree is a BSc in Chemistry and Biology, and GCE
from USP. His MSc dissertation, undertaken in England, introduced him to a
perspective into the world of the various types of impairment. At University
of Queensland his PhD thesis was entitled “A postcolonial perspective of
distance education. A case study of the University of the South Pacific.” This
gave him an insight into deconstruction, postcolonial theory, feminism,
structuralism, post-structionalism, modernism and new times. This study was
undertaken at the University of Queensland in Australia (1996 - 1999).
In more recent years Dr Wah has been Founding Coordinator of the World
Health Organisation’s Pacific Open Learning HealthNet (POLHN)
UNICEF’s Education Officer, Senior Educational Assessment Specialist in
the Secretariat for the Pacific Board of Educational Assessment’s (SPBEA)
Currently he is full time executive chair of the Fiji Higher Education
Commission (July 2013, prior to this he was part time chair of the
Commission since 2010).
He taught in universities in England, Australia and Fiji, at graduate and
postgraduate levels and spent many years in training of the trainer programs
for all aspects of education. He examined a PhD from an Australian
University about teacher education practices from an islander perspective.
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KELERA TALOGA
IMPLEMENTING AND
SUSTAINING QUALITY
EDUCATION
The acting Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Education, Kelera
Taloga is a passionate and dedicated educator.
The Ministry has been recognised as a global leader in financial
education since 2013, when it implemented the integration of learning
about personal money management into the core curriculum from
years one to 12. Mrs Taloga has been at the forefront of the Fiji
Financial Education initiative as a contributor and head of project.
Prior to her current position, Mrs Taloga was the deputy secretary
Professional, a position she assumed in 2012. Mrs Taloga was actively
involved in the areas of curriculum development and examinations
and formal assessment at the Fiji Ministry of Education.
Mrs Taloga began her career teaching at secondary school level and
has held a number of positions within the Fiji school system,
including the prominent Lautoka Teachers College, as well as the
Ministry of Education.
Mrs Taloga holds a series of qualifications in education, food science
& technology, science and mathematics, including a Master’s of
Education from the University of the South Pacific.
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FIJI PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION
HIGHLIGHTS OF OCT 2014 CONFERENCE
THEME: IMPACTING NATION BUILDERS
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Presidential address [Mr Ledua Colati]:
It seems everyone has rights except school leaders. We need
quality leaders to produce quality teachers.
Appeal to MOE—remove retirement age to ensure
experienced teachers are retained.
Need to promote holistic education which includes extra
curricula activities.
Free education needs to be embraced by all parents.
Problem of absenteeism and truancy.
Rights of parents vs rights of teachers.
October 2014
Rev. Colati Ledua
FPA President
Chief Guest: Archbishop Peter Loy Chung
 The importance and acceptance of a spiritual framework
 The need for spiritual input and holistic education
 Jesus is our model as the servant leader.
Impact of Technology on Nation Builders—Semi Tukana
 We need dreamers and builders
 We need classrooms conducive to learning
 We need to embrace rebels and radical ideas.
 We need to be relevant.
 We need to understand and communicate quality English.
 We need to understand, learn technology.
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Proposed a national centralized student management
system.
Dr Mahendra
Reddy
Minister for
Education
We need your
input.
If you don’t
perform, I can’t
perform.
Tell us your
problems
THE FIJI PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION
Provides a Forum for support, encouragement and professional
development of Secondary Principals; and leadership in all
aspects of secondary education in consultation with the Ministry
of Education.
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….we want to
help you be the
best you can be.
Dr Sitiveni Yanyanutawa,
Executive Director, Fiji
National Council for
Disabled Persons.
 Changing our mind set.
 Fiji signed UN Rights of
People with a Disability
in 2010.
 Government emphasis
on inclusive education.
 All schools will need to
create access for persons
with disability.
 Familiarise yourself with
Mr Michael Shaver, Global
Outreach Officer, Institute of
When it comes to International Education, Abu Dhabi.
disability,
 We are all part of a global
it is not what
you know
experience.
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New York University campuses
in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi
looking for future leaders in the
world.

Aim to teach students to
address problems of tomorrow.
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Form 7 pass, students need to
present in academic, personal
and community areas.
but what is in
your heart
that counts.
Dr Sitiveni
Yanyanutawa,
FNCP
all aspects of policy.
Dr Uhila Moe-langi Fasi ; Senior Assessment Specialist - Research SPBEA
 Need to think of more broadly for holistic assessment.
 Considers socio-economic, psychological and behavioural inhibitors to learning.
 Internal assessment is for quality learning and encourage long term results .
 High stake examinations do not assist student learning—encourage drop outs.
 Importance of professionalism of teachers to ensure quality outcomes.
 Your heart as a leader—good brain is important but good heart is vital!
 You, the Principal, are selected for your
Dr Giulio Paunga. Vice President
Regional Campuses, Properties and
Facilities, University of South Pacific.
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 Remember that policies and nation is
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about you and me, our situation, our
people.
After 2008 review basic education
replaced with quality education.
Tripartite approach—admin and
authority; Principals & teachers as
implementers; students as recipients.
Policy makers must understand really
well their target audience.
Policy makers need to understand the
struggles of teachers and students.
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qualities—you make a difference.
There needs to be more investment in
the development of teachers.
Policies not only for school but for
home, are vital for nation builders.
Are policies borrowed from overseas
relevant to our situation?
Critical need for assessment of policies
to ensure relevant and suitable for our
context
Importance of consultation in policy
making; difficult to implement if you
are not part of the development of
policies.
DAY 2—BUSINESS SESSION
 Request for awards presentation
 Request for more networking and
mentoring time.
 Future leaders workshops with experienced principals as facilitators
 Food allocation insufficient—request
FPA support to Ministry.
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Girls only Netball. Separate competitions.
Concern sponsors benefit more from
athletics and rugby, than schools.
Principals need support to approach
MOE re policy formation.
Need for FPA to be registered and
Building a culture of learning is critical—the principal sets the tone and
pace of the school. Mr Jai Narayan DSE
Mr Jai Narayan—Director Secondary
Education
 Circulation of Education Gazette to all
 Warmly welcomed all principals,
 Parents day is a formal school day.
 Regular staff briefings and circulars to
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particularly new ones
Principals are responsible for the
future—vital role to play.
All schools should own Smartphones.
Need to increase digital knowledge and
application.
Zoning and enrolment policy.
Acquittal of grants issues to be
addressed; careful recording essential.
Continuous in-service training important
The glue is attitude, philosophy and
theory-to-action culture.
Principals are the super-teachers in the
driving seat for the teachers.
Annual reports critical, minutes and
audited financials by 30 March.
Confirmation of school roll.
Virement of grant funds needs school
manager letter to PEO.
Strictly no fund raising.
Transparency and accountability in all
areas.
staff and discussed at staff meeting.
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ensure good communication.
Tertiary Loan Scheme available if pass
Form 7. Scholarship for top students.
Extra classes must be monitored.
Consider impact on family life.
Transport vouchers closely monitored.
Excursions need to be planned carefully
to reduce cost to parents.
Early school close, seek approval from
District Office.
Enrolments for 2015 need to start in
November.
FEMIS training. All required to take.
Hostel remission fees—please apply.
Strategic plan and annual plan revisions
Water crisis, funds available for tanks.
Staffing returns in good time.
 World Teachers Day—certificates to all
teachers.
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Minister for Education Dr Mahendra Reddy
The 2014 FPA Conference was blessed to receive a
visit from the newly appointed Minister for
Education who encouraged all principals with his
warm greetings and inspiring speech.
Key issues raised by Dr Reddy

Importance of FPA and the role
it plays
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Principals servant leadership
vitally important
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Ministry has a dream to deliver
quality education.
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Fiji is on track to become the
leader in Education in the South
Pacific.
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Government is committed to
making education accessible to
all.
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Education is a right, not a
privilege.
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Free education, free textbooks,
free transport.
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Tertiary education available to
all who qualify— no quota
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Vocational courses—Year 10
will have opportunity to split
between TVET and academic.
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There is a need to change the
culture in a few non-performing
schools
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We need students who are
critical thinkers , pushing the
frontier.
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We need a culture of excellence.
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Email the ministry if you have a
need; if no response after five
days email the Minister.
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Take photos of your needs and
we will supply.
FPA would like to thank sponsors who have
supported the running of this Conference in
both cash and kind.

Books R Us
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C.K. Patel/ Easybuy
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Coca Cola Amatil Fiji Ltd
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Daltron

Etreme
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Fiji Water
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FTA
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Gem—IT Solutions
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Grem Chemicals
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Jedis Stationery
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Kaks Marketing
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Quality Sports
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Riccoh
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South Pacific Business Systems
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Star Printery
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Textbook Wholesalers Ltd
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USP
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FIJI PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION
would like to thank our major sponsors
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