Kelera Ditaiki 
Fiji Teachers Union. [Photo: FILE]
Around 600 graduate, secondary-trained teachers working in primary schools claim they are being paid less than they deserve, despite holding recognised qualifications.
Fiji Teachers Union General Secretary Muniappa Goundar claims these teachers are classified as “unqualified” and are not receiving graduate salaries.
Goundar says they should be paid at the graduate level, regardless of whether they are teaching in primary or secondary schools.
In their 2026-2027 budget proposal, the union raised that underpaid wages to teachers was one of the many reasons teachers were looking for greener pastures abroad.
“And these teachers are not paid the graduate salary. They are not paid the graduate salary. They are classified as unqualified teachers. You understand, they are graduates, and they need to be paid the graduate salary. Graduates are graduates, right? Whether they are in primary or secondary.”
He claims that close to two teachers are leaving Fiji’s schools every day, amounting to more than 700 teachers annually.
Goundar also reiterated there is a need to increase wages or introduce incentives for schoolteachers.
The union says that the government needs to step in, or the situation will worsen if measures are not undertaken.
FBC News has sent questions to the Education Ministry in relation to the claims made by the union.
