In 1959 government’s spending on education was almost equal to the total estimated income tax revenue, according to the director of Education J G Rodger.

An article in The Fiji Times on January 4 of that year, quoted Mr Rodger as saying education expenditure reached £1,247,000.

It was made up of £773,000 in salaries (£700,000 for teachers and £73,000 for others), £256,000 for government-aided schools and £218,000 for new buildings.

The estimated revenue from income tax was £1,350,000.

Mr Rodger said unless revenue increased sharply in the following years, forcible arrangements would have to be brought if the present rate of expansion was to be maintained, let alone increased.

“Next year, in 1960, I have no doubt that the teachers’ salary bill will be up to about £760,000, because increments for this year’s 1700 civil servant teachers and the starting salaries of the 130 or so new teachers who will leave the training college at the end of this year, will amount to about another £60,000,” he said.

“The following year the teachers’ salary bill for the same reasons will go up to about £830,000, and in 1962 up to £900,000 and so on, till by 1964 we will be spending as much on teachers’ salaries as we are this year spending on education as a whole.”

The 64-dollar question is: Is Fiji getting full value for this immense and steadily growing expenditure on teachers’ salaries?

“You, and only you, know whether you are really giving your best for every hour of the 40-week school year,” Mr Rodgers said.

“Most of you are, but there are some who are not.

“And as long as there are some who are not pulling their full weight, so long will we have difficulty in persuading the powers-that-be that extra funds we need each year for salaries are fully justified.”