Education System in Fiji
| Education | School/Level | Grade From | Grade To | Age From | Age To | Years | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Elementary Education | 6 | Education is not compulsory but is free through the first eight years. Schools from pre-school to secondary are mostly managed by either the government, religion (Catholic, Methodist, Sabha or Muslim) or provinces. | |||||
| Secondary | Secondary School | 7 | ||||||
| Secondary | Vocational Secondary Education | 9 | 12 | 4 | Courses include carpentry, metalwork, woodwork, home economics and agricultural science. | |||
| Tertiary | Higher Education | 2 | Higher education is offered at technical institutes and is structured around two-year Diploma programs. There are also four or five-year professional degree programs in specific fields. |
Primary Education
In Fiji, the role of government in education is to provide an environment in which children realize their full potential, and school is free from age 6 to 16. Primary schools are encouraged to develop in interaction with local communities, to be creative, and to find the different sparks that ignite the minds of every child.
Secondary Education
High school education may continue for a total of 5 years following an entry examination. Students either leave after 3 years with a Fiji school leaving certificate, or remain on to complete their final 2 years and qualify for tertiary education.
Vocational Education
Just a handful of secondary schools offer any form of vocational orientation and the system remains largely academic and examination orientated. The Fiji national training council has ambitious programs in place to correct this gap in line with internationally accepted standards.
Tertiary Education
Fiji Polytechnic School provides training in several trade and apprenticeship courses, and other shorter diplomas in engineering, hotel catering and business studies. There are also teacher training colleges, and other colleges specializing in agriculture, medicine and technology.
The University of the South Pacific which is funded internationally is dispersed throughout Oceania and enjoys a good reputation. Its Fiji campuses are located on Lautoka and and Kiribati Islands.