Yaqona (Kava) and Education in Fiji - A Clash of Cultures?

In the Fiji Islands education is promoted as a pathway to development. However low academic achievement is undermining this strategic focus with some observers questioning the influence of culture and values on scholastic failure. This book examines the 'culture of yaqona' (the etiquette associated with the use and consumption of the beverage kava) and the impact this substance is having on education delivery and under-achievement in rural Fiji.Factors that comprise the 'culture of yaqona' are examined including cultural observance and the vakaturaga (chiefly) ethos networks of obligation tauvu and veitabani relational connections bole (a non-aggressive form of competitive consumption) ideals of masculinity and the 'grog swiper' kanikani (dry skin from excessive consumption) as a 'badge of honour' and strategic forms of consumption that allow attendees to stay until drinking sessions' completion. Teachers' consumption habits and the effects of kava on the body and productivity are also discussed. This study the first of its kind reveals that one third of rural teachers consume yaqona for an average of six hours on nights prior to teaching in the classroom and that this negatively affects education delivery and student academic achievement. However it is argued that due to complicating factors this traditional beverage should not be banned from the teaching environment.