(G) Fostering Understanding Between Fiji's Two Main Ethnic Groups.

Last week all workers in Education (including teachers and officers at headquarters, and all section heads) started the same one-half hour a week language learning programme in Conversational Fijian and/or Conversational Hindi already been implemented for Class 5 students. The programme, aimed at bridging the ethnic divide that has so long plagued Fiji, comprises two components: a) Conversational Fijian or Hindi, starting at beginners’ level then progressing to intermediate, then onto an advanced level; b) Basic Culture studies, i.e. Fijian culture or Hindi culture. This component will be situational learning, either by visiting/assisting a family or through projects to enhance cultural understanding. [What is so amazing is that it took from Independence in 1970 to 2009 to implement such a programme. The earlier pre-1970 period is discounted: the British had nothing to gain from inter-ethnic understanding. Modern Fiji most definitely has!]