Fiji faces school dropout crisis

SUVA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A recent Fiji Education Staff Appointment report has revealed a educational crisis in the island nation, with 39 percent of 90,000 students dropping out among secondary schools in the past few years.

Permanent Secretary for Education Selina Kuruleca attributed the dropout crisis to a widening learning gap between rural and urban students, caused by higher poverty rates in rural communities, reported Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.

Kuruleca noted that more boys are dropping out of school than girls, as many boys went into farming for family.

The country's education ministry is working on the introduction of 13 vocational centers around the country that will give these students options to upskill themselves and make a difference in the community.