Page 6 - IB June 2017

Whispers

Student death do to improve our revenues. Singaporeans And what did they have to do with
ABSOLUTE silence in Fiji’s media over were left to their own devices very early sustainable development?
the death of a PNG student at a local on and have become a very, very dynamic
boarding school. economic force,” Tolagi said. t
The senior student at the Roman Catho- Fiji ran several successful projects – in-
lic Saint John’s College died of a pulmonary cluding its sea and aviation ports – based
haemorrhage (bleeding in the lungs) on Singaporean studies and advice.
which could have been caused by one of Gradually, however, Fiji found new
many illnesses including dengue fever. friends and moved towards other models
Parents and former students rushed which included selling national assets to
to the aid of the school to repatriate the cover foreing debts.
body of the student and provide financial Tolagi wants to build tourism and
support for his family. exports of water.Hopefully he’ll receive
Yet there was nary a word on the inci- excellent advice.
dent in the local papers or on radio and
television. Even the Education Ministry t MIlitary numbers
and police were surprisingly quiet. ABOUT 12 months from Fiji’s national
Perhaps it was a matter of protecting Vila talks elections and still no word on an increased
Fiji’s business of educating regional stu- REPRESENTATIVES of national and number of Fijians of Indian descent in its
dents at its schools. regional umbrella bodies of non-state military.
actors (NSAs) met in Port Vila last month The current rulers gained power and at-
t to discuss. tempted to justify their involvement in the
Held in four-star opulence and December 2006 coup on the back of prom-
School hiccups funded by the region’s premier CROP ises of greater inclusivity in national life.
SO Fiji’s Education Ministry still can’t agency,delegates discussed the Pacific But in all the recruitment drives for
get its act together when it comes to ar- Agreement on Closer Economic Relations officers and enlisted ranks since 2007
ranging national assessment for school (PACER) Plus which has been rejected in there has been little change to the ethnic
children. its current form by the largest traders in composition of the army.
The Literacy and Numeracy Assessment the region – Fiji and PNG. Latest figures show that Fijians of
planned for the second term was moved Not well known for their listening Indian Descent make up a mere four per
suddenly, leaving many parents and stu- skills, Australia and New Zealand have cent of those listed for initial interviews
dents unaware, ploughed on with PACER Plus, pulling and training.
Righteous indignation spewed forth the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Just another broken promise?
on social media as irate parents vented Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall
their frustration on teachers and ministry Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Sa- t
officials. moa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu
The assessment had initially replaced and Vanuatu with them. Council polls
annual examinations which determined Meanwhile, the signing ceremony of SPEAKING of broken promises, when
the suitability of candidates for the next the PACER Plus is due to take place on will Fiji have elections for representatives
level of schooling. June 14. of voters on municipal councils?
But in Fiji – where no student who fails Local government elections were once
can be deprived of forward movement t the breeding ground for budding national
– the education system has numerous politicians but there have been no moves
quirks. MIlitary might by the heavily funded and constantly
Sudden movement of dates for exams SO the Indians were in Suva late last upgraded Fijian Elections Office to go to
and analysis is just one of them. month for what was supposed to be a the polls.
summit on sustainable industries. Trade union elections have been taking
t In the end it was an event in which place along with the drawing of numbers
Indian officials and businesspeople lined for ballot papers in 2018.
Eyes on Singapore up to promote the belief that anything and Despite media queries, the Elections
LIKE Fijian governments of old (and everything good comes from one place – Office has remained deathly quiet on the
new), Niue is looking to Singapore as a definitely not China. issue.
model. Only two people from Fiji actually made
Prime Minister, Sir Toke Talagi, wants contributions and one of them was the t
to build a stronger economy by attracting representative of a large international
investment and coaxing former Niueans NGO. Sustainable islands
to return home. But most disconcerting to those who WHAT is the value of underwater
To do that the four-time PM is looking attended was the lack of diversity in the mining rights? Apparently $USD8000
to Singapore for advice. local audience, not to mention the large a month according to a deal signed by
“We’re also looking to ask the Singapor- number of military personnel who were the Cook Islands and a major minerals
ean government to come here and have a part of the visiting delegation. extractor.
look at what we’re doing and advise us as There were at least two generals in the An agreement signed recently – despite
to what they believe we should possibly delegation along with aviators and mem- a huge push by anti extractive industry
bers of the special forces.

6 Islands Business, May 2017