Squattering All Over Fiji

Squatter settlements are quickly redrawing Fiji's physical landscape and there is no sign of it stopping any time in the future. Fiji's Social Welfare Minister estimates that close to 15% of the population live in around 200 squatter settlements around the country. The greater Suva area has the largest number of squatters and it is estimated that by 2010, the Suva/Nausori corridor will have 15,000 squatter households with 100,000 people. With the rise of these informal settlements, one has to ask a few necessary questions, namely, What is governments policy on housing? Is is effective? What can be done to cater for the growing population of urban dwellers who live on these informal settlements? These are general questions, I suppose, but none the less they provide a starting point in the quest of looking into this problem. Some commentators, of which I would not like to name, have supposedly accepted this phenomenon as a part of urbanization and modernization. Ironically this statement was made during one of the government sponsored conference on squatter settlements. I feel most of us seem to accept this as a fact but I wish to argue otherwise. Squatter settlements arise because of two distinct issues namely, the availability of land and the issue of land ownership. The former has been a major concern to city planners and human rights activists while the latter has been a constant head ache to previous governments in Fiji. And, unless we are able to solve these two issues, the problem of informal settlements will persevere. Fiji's land policy is not unique as others would like to think. Most third world countries and most developed countries share the same dillema. It is just the question of finding an appropriate point where land owners and those who propose to use the land can come to an agreement. The role of government can be crucial in this. But most importantly people should be educated as to the nature of Fiji's land policy and often misconceptions have caused more problems than actual squatter settlements. We should understand that we are dealing with peoples lives here, their sense of home is in question and in moments of desperation people often take terrible measures to ensure survival. To the squatter dwellers, it is a matter of survival and less a matter of integraty. Understanding their dillema and where they are coming from is always wise before any policy change or program is instigated concerning this issue. 

Early School Leaving In Fiji

Early School Leaving (ESL) is a major problem in Fiji. On the contrary, it is a huge problem. I have been studying this issue for over two years and I have found that this phenomenon is as complex as any social issue. Complex in the sense that one cannot put a finger on a single cause or effect but rather a multitude of causes that could also be an effect of ESLing. The ministry of Education, to my surprise, has decided to combat this issue in the a manner that could only be described as agricultural or provincial and if should it suit the linguistic connoisseur, than I suppose 'archaic' should be added into the mix. They have decided to forgo the examination system under the argument that it is a major contributor to ESL. The question is, how than will be able to measure the effectiveness of the national curriculum? how will we know if what we are teaching our children is actually improving their capability without using a measuring stick? These thoughts have puzzled my mind for days. Now I ask myself, is it truly wise to dispose the measuring stick just so that things would look good on paper. It is truly amazing to see that most academics have supported this scheme without realizing that ESL can be caused by a multitude of factors that are linked to one another is a complex social web. For example, poverty could lead to a family sacrificing schooling and unemployed parents would also have to take the same measure. Than there is the issue of family priorities and how most family value education, which can affect a child's perception towards the remarkable benefits of education. Also, the effectiveness and questionable quality of the national curriculum which, in all respect should be students focused. But curriculum's are also judged along the line of a country's economic health and preferences in the job market. There is also the issue of peer pressure and the existing counter culture that has been, for decades, characterized by youthful exuberance and rebelliousness. These issues have to extend played a significant role in why ESLing exist. But they are not the only issues, there is the question of values, tradition, culture of Fiji's society in general. My point is why is the government taking this step when in all recognition they could have tried to look deeper in the rabbits hole and see that there are certain things in society that cannot be possibly solved by just picking on one issue without considering the whole puzzle. I pray that common sense would one day prevail.