Minister for Education Premila Kumar says 69% of the teachers in secondary and primary schools are women however only 27% of them hold leadership positions as heads of schools.
While speaking at the Women Empowerment Workshop for the Northern teachers in leadership positions in Labasa, Kumar says in comparison there are 31% male teachers and 73% of them hold leadership positions.
She says we need more women in leadership positions in schools because at the end of the day, 69% of all teachers are females.
Kumar says she hopes to see more female teachers in leadership positions in the future based on the Open-Merit Recruitment System.
She says some people have a lot of negativity attached to the Open-Merit Recruitment System but it gives equal opportunity to women teachers to apply for leadership posts.
Kumar then went on to say that in the past, teachers were appointed for heads of schools positions by the Union representatives and the Ministry of Education.
The Minister adds it was always about the connections that you had and how you socialize.
She says all these connections worked for the men unlike the women.
Kumar has challenged all women to set their goals and achieve their ambitions.
She has also told the women to consider themselves equal and only then they will be able to apply for leadership positions.
