Two maritime schools in Fiji’s Northern Division are still functioning without adequate classrooms, several years after sustaining damage from natural disasters. The Laucala District School in Dreketi Village on Qamea Island was heavily impacted by a landslide in December 2016, while Yadua Village School on Yadua Island suffered damage from Tropical Cyclone Yasa in 2020.
In the aftermath, students have been compelled to study in makeshift shelters such as village halls and community centers as they wait for proper classrooms to be built. The management teams at these schools have implemented temporary arrangements while awaiting assistance from the Ministry of Education.
Selina Kuruleca, the Permanent Secretary for Education, has confirmed that the budget for the 2024-2025 financial year includes plans to reconstruct classrooms at these institutions. However, she noted that there are logistical challenges involved in transporting building materials to the island schools.
“We are coordinating with other government ministries to expedite this process, as the barge must be able to reach these schools,” Kuruleca stated. She emphasized that, like the affected communities, the ministry is eager for students to stop studying in tents.
Collaborations with communities and corporate organizations are ongoing to support the rehabilitation efforts. However, Muniappa Goundar, the general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union, criticized the delays, insisting that arrangements should have been made sooner. “It shouldn’t take four years to organize a barge. We’re already in the third term, and students and teachers are preparing for exams,” Goundar remarked.
Despite the setbacks, he expressed gratitude to the school management and villagers for their initiative in creating temporary learning spaces, which have allowed educational activities to continue. Kuruleca also clarified that no other schools in the North are facing unresolved damage from natural disasters.