The Great Council of Chiefs’ Education Committee is calling for the reinstatement of disaggregated ethnic data in Fiji’s education system, saying its absence has weakened policy-making and masked disparities in student achievement.

Making a submission on the Education Bill, committee representative Susana Tuisawau says collecting disaggregated data must be clearly provided for in the legislation, as it is essential to guiding how education is delivered across the country.

Tuisawau says historically, examination results and education outcomes were clearly tracked by ethnicity, allowing authorities to identify gaps and tailor solutions where needed.

However, she says political decisions made in the past-particularly the move to classify all citizens simply as “Fijian”-have obscured the challenges faced by some ethnic groups.

“In the past, whenever we collected data at the school level or even outside in the higher education sector, the results of examinations are always clear with the ethnic groups and their achievements in these various examinations.”

As a result, she says weaknesses in educational outcomes can no longer be accurately identified, making it difficult to design effective strategies to address them.

She says the Constitution guarantees equal access to quality education for all, regardless of ethnicity, and disaggregated data is necessary to measure whether that standard is being met.

The GCC Education Committee also argues that reinstating ethnic data collection supports the protection of indigenous rights, as outlined in the Constitution and international conventions ratified by Fiji, including ILO Convention 169.

Tuisawau says recognising ethnic identity in formal records is also vital for cultural recognition, noting Fiji’s diverse population.

She adds that accurate and disaggregated data is critical for effective policy planning, particularly in education, health, and employment, ensuring resources reach the right communities at the right time.

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