Disabled for job help
5-Mar-2009 08:51 AM

THE Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons (FNCDP) has urged interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to assist people with disabilities to enter the workforce.

The council made the plea when Bainimarama visited the Fiji Vocational Technical Training Centre for Persons with Disability on Tuesday.

Fiji Disabled Peoples Association president Akuila Rewatabua said they were fortunate to have a visit from the PM and informed him of what the centre offered for people living with disabilities.

Rewatabua informed Bainimarama of the difficulties the council faced such as the employment and absorption of disabled persons into the workforce and the ability to recruit specialised teachers to teach students living with disabilities.

“I sincerely request if the policy of employing people with disability who are qualified is taken up. From the workforce, two percent should be given job opportunities for people with disability,” he said.

Rewatabua said they needed qualified teachers to come and teach our students, however the education system was not favourable to them.

“It is very difficult to get qualified teachers to provide vocational training and our special schools have been graded similar to the ordinary schools in Fiji – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.”

“One teacher has to teach about 30 children but with us it is different as we need more teachers to cater for quality learning process of the students with disabilities,” Rewatabua said.

Bainimarama said his visit had been helpful in giving him an insight of the activities offered and learnt more about people living with disabilities.