Two maritime schools in Fiji’s Northern Division are still functioning without proper classrooms, years after being damaged by natural disasters. Laucala District School in Dreketi Village on Qamea Island suffered extensive damage from a landslide in December 2016, while Yadua Village School on Yadua Island was impacted by Tropical Cyclone Yasa in 2020.
Since these incidents, students have been learning in temporary shelters, village halls, and community centers as they await the construction of suitable classrooms. The school management teams have implemented provisional measures for the students, pending intervention from the Ministry of Education.
Selina Kuruleca, the Permanent Secretary for Education, noted that the budget for the 2024-2025 financial year includes funding for rebuilding classrooms at these schools. However, she emphasized the logistical challenges involved in transporting building materials to these island schools.
“We are coordinating with other government ministries to ensure this is completed promptly because the barge must reach these schools,” Ms. Kuruleca stated. She expressed a shared desire, along with affected communities, for children to no longer have to study in tents. The ministry is also collaborating with community members and corporate organizations that have offered assistance in the rehabilitation efforts.
Muniappa Goundar, general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union, criticized the delays, asserting that the ministry should have taken action sooner. “It shouldn’t take four years to organize a barge. We are already in the third term, and students and teachers are preparing for exams,” Mr. Goundar remarked.
Despite the ongoing delays, he expressed gratitude to the school management and local villagers for their efforts in creating temporary learning spaces, which have allowed education to continue for the children. Ms. Kuruleca also confirmed that there are no other schools in the North with unresolved damage from natural disasters.