THE UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific's education and psychology department has begun a new degree programme exclusively for primary teachers in the region.

The Bachelor of Education (BEd) Primary programme is for three years comprising 21 units. The department head, Professor Srinivasiah Muralidhar, told Wansolwara: 'BEd primary has been on the books in our thinking for four to five years. When we started BEd secondary, we also started thinking on the planning.'

Prof Muralidhar said most good qualified teachers have transferred to secondary schools, leaving the primary schools with a 'hole'.

'What has happened now, people who wanted to go for higher degrees, primary teachers, would simply come and do the secondary BEd and transfer to secondary schools. But we want good teachers to remain in primary.'

'We didn1t have the provision for all these years. That's why we started BEd primary, so that there is an avenue for primary teachers to specialise in their own primary areas and go back to the primary schools and become good teachers,' said Prof Muralidhar. The programme has enrolled 70 students this year.

Prof Muralidhar said teachers who had a regional qualification in primary teaching and more than three years of experience would have their first year courses fully credited. This means they will only spend two years in the BEd primary programme.

Prof Muralidhar said the programme fully trained teachers in all primary teaching subjects. Students did not have to take subjects in other disciplines.

'Teachers who have completed this programme qualify for a higher salary range. They should be treated as any other degree holder, BEd secondary and BEd primary should be on the same scale. I think the ministry has agreed to that,' he said.

Prof Muralidhar added that the education department was also working towards introducing a BEd early childhood education programme in the near future.