Government is concerned with the number of children who are in schools that do not have birth certificates, but have managed to enrol in schools around the country.
In an interview highlighting the Government’s achievement in the first year, Attorney-General Siromi Turaga says they are concerned with how enrolment is being carried out, if students do not have birth certificates but are in the school system.
Turaga said the only other possible alternative is that parents had submitted the baptism forms to the schools, in order for their children to be accepted.
“Birth certificate is the main document in any case.”
The Attorney-General has also revealed that a huge number of people, in urban and rural areas, have not been registered with the Birth, Death and Marriage Office.
Turaga said the Ministry of Justice is working to redesign of the civil and vital statistics in Fiji that would improve and streamline the processes from childbirth to child registration.
He said they intend to go around the country so that they are able to achieve a 100 per cent birth registration.
