Solomon students in Suva to meet Education Minister and delegation tonight at USP

Solomon Islands students studying in Suva, Fiji will be having an audience with the visiting Minister of Education (Dr Derek Sikua), Permanent Secretary of Education (Mr Barnabas Anga), and Director of the National Training Unit (Mr Selu Maezama) tonight at the University of the South Pacific's Laucala Campus.

The Education Minister and his official delegation are currently in Suva to attend the University of the South Pacific Council Meeting.

It is understood that tonight's meeting will be used as an avenue where the minister and his officials will present their response to a thirty-two point submission that was presented to them on Monday by the Solomon Islands Student Association (SISA) pertaining to outstanding issues that affect the wellbeing of SIG sponsored students in various tertiary institutions throughout Fiji.

The thirty-two point submission was put together after an earlier meeting by the SISA student body on Saturday, May 19th. Some of the imminent requests in that submission include the need to have a NTU liaising officer at USP, committment to the 60 percent allowance increase MOU, issues regarding students taking Distance Flexible Learning mode courses, wellbeing of married students and so forth.

Over the past three days, students were given the opportunity to have personal consultations with the Director of NTU at USP with regards to personal issues that may fall outside the thirty-two point submission.

Tonight's meeting is scheduled from 7-9pm (Fiji time) and a heavy refreshment is planned after the meeting whereby students can eat together with the education minister and his delegation.