There are a lot of challenges in relation to Education in the Pacific!

A few issues were highlighted at the Regional Millennium Development Goals Workshop, currently held at the SPC in Suva.

The challenges include the availability of funds in a family to send their children to school.

This is evident in some societies in the Pacific, where some children miss out on school because there is no bus fare.

Also in some cases, the schools in the rural areas are located far and transport is a problem.

This is evident in a school in the highlands of Naitasiri, Vunidawa District School, where a class eight student from Vuisiga village, Varanisese Likuyaco, missed out a lot from school because there was no transport.

However, head teacher, Penijamini Rata said this is no longer a problem as the Fiji Government has stepped in to assist, and Likuyaco and her schoolmates are able to attend school daily.

Speaking at the workshop, UNICEF's Dr Nikhat Shameem said another challenge is for parents to understand the importance of education.