Major stakeholders of Fiji schools say the Minister of Education has failed to consult them over proposed changes.
The Minister, Dr Mahendra Reddy, has announced that rural students who apply to Adi Cakabau, Ratu Kadavulevu and Queen Victoria schools will now have priority over urban applicants.
Queen Victoria School students in Fiji Photo: QVS Old Boys facebook page
He says the Government-run schools were originally aimed at helping rural boarders, but the President of the QVS Old Boys Association, Anasa Vocea says government has neglected the schools over the past eight years, and now wants to make sweeping changes.
"I, like a lot of the old scholars as well, am extremely upset at the announcement by the Minister for Education, because he has not consulted any of the stakeholders at all, before he came up with this and as far as I know he didn't consult his senior staff as well."
Anasa Vocea says it's unfair for the minister to refer to the urban students as 'elites'.
The Minister has been sought for comment.
