Prior to 1970, students at the junior secondary level in Fiji studied physics, chemistry and biology based on syllabuses modelled on the content of British textbooks. However, this did not mean that all students had access to all science subjects. According to Muralidhar (1989) only the 'bright' students had this opportunity. Thus, it was not uncommon for students to leave school without any exposure to science subjects. Furthermore, the prescriptions were academically oriented, mainly geared to the minority who went on to upper secondary and tertiary studies.