Praneeta Prakash 
The National Early Childhood Development Policy 2024-28 prioritizes expanding ECE services for three and four-year-old’s.
According to UNICEF, 78 percent of children in this age category and eight percent of five-year-old’s in Fiji are not enrolled in any form of early childhood education
This figure highlights the need for policy reforms and increased investment in the sector.
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro says the current system primarily caters to five-year-old’s, highlighting the need for reform.
“Ministry of Education is also looking at revising its act to try to see how we can synchronize to the gaps that are there and try to address the gaps that are there. As you know, the Ministry of Education only looks after 5-year-olds. So now discussions are ongoing with the declaration.”
Radrodro says the Ministry plans to revise its legislation and collaborate with other government agencies to create a more comprehensive and inclusive early childhood education system.
“Our experts are also exploring this as a 10-year sector plan. This could be also another area where we need to review the process and policies that are in-house to ensure that we accommodate what has been highlighted in the policy.”
The policy also prioritizes tackling critical issues such as malnutrition, child neglect, and abuse.
Radrodro highlighted the importance of collective responsibility in addressing these concerns.
