[Photo: FILE]
The Fiji Teachers Union is calling for a minimum 35 percent increase in the Free Education Grant in the upcoming national budget, warning that current funding fails to cover rising school costs.
The grant rates have been frozen since 2014, currently providing 250 dollars for primary students, 440 dollars for Years 9 and 10, 485 dollars for Years 11 and 12, and 610 dollars for Year 13.
FTU General Secretary Muniappa Goundar says schools received adequate support when the program was first introduced, but the rising cost of living has drastically eroded the grant’s value over time.
Goundar says inflation has effectively wiped out 30 percent of the grant’s purchasing power over the last decade.
“So, what we are demanding is a minimum of 35% increase in FEG to all our schools. Whether ECE, primary, or secondary. So that the schools can cope with the increasing expenditure in the provision of all the necessities for a child.”
Compounding the issue, recent reports indicate that the Free Education Grant rate for primary school students has actually dropped from 250 dollars to just 173 dollars.
Fijian Teachers Association General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga says the increase is needed to continue providing essential resources to students.
The union is urging the government to consider the increase in the 2026–27 National Budget, saying additional funding will benefit schools.
