10 Fijian students will be awarded the Pacific Secondary Scholarship Programme to pursue their Year 12 and Year 13 studies in Australia.
Minister for Education Rosy Akbar and Acting Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Anna Dorney signed the Memorandum of Understanding this afternoon at Senikau House.
Students selected will begin their studies in July next year. This scholarship is the first of it's kind for Fiji and will have a duration of two and a half years.
The first half-year is to allow students to integrate as well as to complete the second half of their Australian standard Year 10 academic year in Australia in preparing for Year 12 and Year 13 studies.
The ten will be selected based on merit, academic performance as well as personal leadership qualities.
It will be awarded evenly between male and female students, taking into account both gender and disability.
Akbar says the scholarships will present a unique opportunity for the students to take advantage of and experience Australia's education system and to challenge their own academic experience.
Dorney says the program is part of their joint commitment with the Fijian Government to providing more opportunities for quality education to Fijians and that child protection, student education and welfare are primary considerations for the scholarship program.
Eight Pacific Island countries are part of the Scholarship program which is worth AUD$66 million.
