[Photo: FILE]
The government will introduce a new Postgraduate Diploma Scholarship Scheme as part of efforts to strengthen skills development and address critical labour market shortages.
Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel says the programme will support professional upskilling in priority sectors and help improve the long-term resilience of Fiji’s workforce.
He says the focus of the education sector is shifting from access alone to improving quality, employability of graduates, teacher welfare, retention, and ensuring better value for money from government investment.
The education sector has been allocated $883 million in the 2026-2027 Budget, making it the largest allocation and accounting for 18 percent of total government spending.
Of this, $708.3 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Education.
This includes $434 million for the salaries and wages of more than 13,000 teachers, $61 million for free education grants, $54 million for transport assistance and $40 million for Back-to-School assistance.
Immanuel says a further $74.5 million has been allocated as operating grants to higher education institutions.
“The operating grants to these institutions have been allocated based on the recommendation of the Fiji Higher Education Commission. No capital grant is provided to any higher education institution, and we encourage these institutions to explore self-funding for their capital works.”
Immanuel says the government has already reformed the tertiary education system, including writing off more than $650 million in student debt affecting over 53,000 students.
He says this has been replaced with a full scholarship system that includes cut-off marks to improve completion rates and ensure quality graduates.
Bonding arrangements have also been introduced to ensure graduates contribute to the country after completing their studies.
To fund scholarships, $160 million has been allocated in the 2026-2027 Budget, supporting around 23,000 students, including 14,000 continuing and 9,000 new recipients.
Immanuel says scholarship schemes will be modernised and aligned with national priorities, with continued expansion of places in high-demand fields such as nursing, medicine and technical and vocational education.
Additional support will also be provided to students from rural, remote and maritime areas, students with disabilities, and those pursuing technical and vocational qualifications in priority sectors.
The Finance Minister says accountability measures within the scholarship programme will also be strengthened.
Students will be required to maintain satisfactory academic performance, while new measures will be introduced to improve completion rates and ensure public investment produces skilled graduates who can contribute effectively to national development.
A key new initiative is the introduction of the Postgraduate Diploma Scholarship Scheme, which will support professional upskilling in priority sectors.
Immanuel says the scheme will complement existing in-service public sector scholarships, apprenticeship programmes and technical training initiatives, helping to address skills shortages and improve productivity.
He says the overall reforms are designed to strengthen Fiji’s education system and ensure it continues to produce a skilled workforce capable of supporting economic growth and national development.
