Early Life and Teaching Career

Singh was born in Vanua Levu and entered the teaching service in the 1970s. For him, teaching was more than a job—it was an act of community building. He taught in schools across Fiji’s northern and western districts, often in resource-poor settings. Those experiences sharpened his sense that teachers were undervalued, underpaid, and overburdened with responsibilities that extended far beyond classrooms.

Union Leadership: The Fiji Teachers’ Union

By the late 1990s, Singh had risen within the Fiji Teachers’ Union (FTU), the country’s oldest
teaching union. Elected General Secretary, he became a household name in education debates. His speeches were blunt, his positions uncompromising: teachers deserved not only better salaries but also respect as professionals shaping the nation’s future. Under his leadership, FTU lobbied for transparent promotion processes, gender equity, and improvements in rural postings.

“Every child’s right to education depends on every teacher’s right to dignity.”

Confrontations and Advocacy

Singh’s tenure was not without conflict. He led strikes, threatened legal action, and locked horns with governments of the day, particularly when austerity budgets cut into teacher benefits. His approach was sometimes criticised as militant, yet even critics acknowledged that FTU under Singh became an indispensable check on state policy. His insistence on international labour standards brought Fiji’s teacher grievances into global forums.

Transition to Politics

In 2022, Singh carried his advocacy into Parliament, winning a seat with the National Federation Party (NFP) as part of the People’s Alliance–NFP–SODELPA coalition. The symbolism was strong: a veteran of union trenches joining the national legislature to shape education and labour policy from within. In speeches, he emphasised continuity—“I speak here as I spoke at FTU conferences: for teachers, students, and communities.”

Parliamentary Voice

Singh has positioned himself as a defender of public education budgets and an advocate for transparent recruitment in the civil service. He consistently links fiscal debates to classroom realities: leaking roofs, shortages of textbooks, or the unpaid overtime of teachers marking exams. His style remains unionist—sharp, grounded, occasionally confrontational, but always tied to lived experience.

Legacy and Reputation

Agni Deo Singh is regarded as one of Fiji’s most principled union leaders, admired for his endurance and clarity of purpose. His move into Parliament was less about ambition than about duty: to ensure that the nation’s policies finally reflect the realities of classrooms. For Indo-Fijian history, Singh embodies the long tradition of teachers as community leaders, bridging the gap between chalkboard and cabinet table.

Notes & Sources

• Fiji Teachers’ Union conference records and press statements (1990s–2020s).
• Parliamentary Hansard (2022–present) for Singh’s speeches.
• Local media coverage on union strikes, education reforms, and Singh’s election under NFP.