Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
The growing number of teachers leaving classrooms could undermine efforts to keep children in school and increase their vulnerability to child labour.
Fiji Trades Union Congress Assistant National Secretary Jotika Sharma stressed that teacher retention is now as critical as student retention, with about 730 teachers leaving the profession each year.
She warned that the loss of experienced educators could worsen student dropout rates as Fiji continues to struggle with retaining secondary school students.
Sharma says better teacher welfare, improved working conditions, adequate classroom facilities, and manageable workloads are key to keeping teachers in the profession.
“When we talk about child labour, we focus on keeping children in school. But now we are also facing the issue of retaining our teachers in Fiji.”
Sharma adds that tackling child labour starts with addressing the reasons children leave school, including teacher shortages and the need for better support for educators.
Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation representative Gaylene Kamali says children who leave school early often end up in low-paying jobs.
Kamali adds that ending child labour requires a collective effort from the government, employers, unions, communities, and parents to ensure children remain in school.
