The Fiji National University’s (FNU) early childhood education expert, Associate Professor Dr Lavinia Tiko, is calling for a comprehensive review of Fiji’s national kindergarten framework, ‘Na Noda Mataniciva’, to ensure it reflects the changing needs of children, families and teachers.

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that begins with getting early childhood education right,” said Dr Tiko.

Dr Tiko, from FNU’s College of Humanities, Education and Law (CHEL), made the call during the stakeholder consultations on Fiji’s pre-primary curriculum. While welcoming the consultations, she said it was important to look beyond pre-primary education and consider the full journey of a child’s early development.

“Na Noda Mataniciva’, is an important national framework for kindergarten education, and we must ensure it continues to serve the needs of our children, educators, families and communities.”

“While the current consultations on the pre-primary curriculum are encouraging, we must look at the bigger picture. Early childhood development does not begin and end with pre-primary education. It is a continuous journey that requires a coordinated, comprehensive , inclusive, and developmentally appropriate approach,” Dr Tiko added.

As our understanding of how children learn continues to grow, she believes Fiji’s early childhood education framework must keep pace with current teaching practices, new research and the changing needs of young learners.

“Our society has evolved, our understanding of how children learn has advanced, and the expectations placed on educators have changed. Our national framework must be inclusive, and evolve alongside these developments,” Dr Tiko further stated.

She also stressed that, the framework must help teachers support children across all areas of development, including their cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitude and values) and psychomotor (skills) domains.

In addition, she highlighted the importance of recognising Fiji’s diverse cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, noting that every child’s learning experience is shaped by their family, community and environment.

“A strong Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) framework must respect our cultural identity while embracing evidence-based approaches that improve learning outcomes. These two priorities should complement each other, not compete,” Dr Tiko explained.

Supporting teachers is equally important. She emphasised that educators need ongoing professional development, mentorship and practical guidance to help them put the curriculum into live practice and give children the support they need.

“Teachers are central to the success of any curriculum reform. We must equip them with the knowledge, confidence, resources and ongoing mentorship needed to implement the framework effectively,” Dr Tiko reiterated.

She also stated that meaningful reform would require collaboration between the Ministry of Education, educational institutions, early childhood practitioners, families and communities, including regional/global partners.

Dr. Tiko believes that a comprehensive review of Na Noda Mataniciva would significantly strengthen Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) in Fiji by ensuring that policies, programs, and services are responsive to the evolving needs of young children, families, and communities. Such a review would help provide children, teachers, caregivers, and families with the support, resources, and enabling environments necessary for positive learning, development, and well-being during these critical early years.

She further emphasises that ECED encompasses ages 0-8, a crucial period for cognitive, social, emotional, physical, cultural, and language development. As such, effective implementation requires a multisectoral, integrated approach that brings together the education, health, nutrition, child protection, social welfare, and community sectors to ensure holistic support for every child’s development and successful transition through the early years of life.

Dr Tiko also notes that investing in quality ECED yields lifelong benefits for children and contributes to stronger educational outcomes, healthier communities, and sustainable national development. A renewed Na Noda Mataniciva framework would therefore offer an important opportunity to align Fiji’s early childhood agenda with contemporary research, national priorities, and the aspirations of families and communities nationwide.

ENDS