Bula

We have three stories on the front page of The Sunday Times for October 6.

RESIGN!

That’s the call made by the Fiji Womens Crisis Centre (FWCC) for the Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.

This after the FWCC accused the Speaker of having leadership that “did not belong in an evolving democracy like Fiji”.

Sports Editor Rohit Deo continues his exclusive look at the new book on the journey of the Fijian Drua in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.

And the third story on Page 1 is about the President. Our first citizen, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere has no case to answer, the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has declared. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced this yesterday, stating FICAC has closed the files regarding the complaints against the President.

Mr Rabuka added Ratu Katonivere remains the Coalition Government’s nominee for the position of President.

On Page 9, Salote Qalubau writes about FICAC. With the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) dominating news headlines in recent weeks, its newly appointed Commissioner, Barbara Malimali has made public findings of an audit of the organisation that was done under her leadership.

International

Follow us for comprehensive coverage of international news.

Sub-editor Roneel Kartik, and duty chief sub-editor Roneel Roneel Ritish Prasad take us on a journey of discovery over escalating violence and destruction in the Gaza.

Kartik wraps it up well with connected stories from around the world that make this the focus of attention in International coverage.

He also connects us with some of the top news agencies from around the world.

Synopsis

Shaping minds and hearts!

Yesterday was a special day for teachers around the world.

It was an opportunity to reflect on the role of people who are an integral part of our development as a nation.

The day commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 ‘UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers’, and has been set aside as an annual event since 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The UNESCO website notes the day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.

On its website, UNESCO stated that this year’s special day would focus on the theme “Valuing teacher voices: Towards a new social contract for education”.

Celebrations would emphasize the pivotal role that teachers play in shaping the future of education and the urgent need to incorporate their perspectives into educational policy and decision-making processes.

So yesterday was an opportunity for us to acknowledge the work of our teachers, and their influence on the lives of our children.

Over the years they have shared knowledge, set the platform for many of us to realise our potential, live our dreams and basically reach out for the stars so to speak.

That’s aside from the many other roles they play, from being guardians, counsellors, role models and friends.

Lest we forget, they also have their own families and responsibilities to attend to daily.

We share the view that there needs to be more support for teachers.

So as we celebrate the occasion, let’s reflect on our education system and the impact that would have on the development of our nation.

Teachers assume many roles beyond that of an educator.

They are guardians of our children when they are at school, they are counsellors offering guidance, role models who can inspire our children, and friends providing support and encouragement.

This is why it is important that we remember they have families of their own as well, and other responsibilities on the home front.

So aside from our expectations about their roles, we should also drive support systems to assist them in their important role.

A united front will be good for the nation.

Again, we reflect on our education system, and put this forward, that questions must be asked about how effective it is in nurturing our children for the future.

In the face of that, we say acknowledgement must be placed on the role of our teachers, and the fact that they deserve our attention every day.

We need to work together to shape the minds and the hearts of our future generations!