Last night, the Nausori Education District held an awards ceremony for all 289 schools within the region, which includes 143 Early Childhood Education centers, 119 primary schools, and 27 notable secondary schools. This marks the first awards night of its kind in Fiji, aimed at celebrating the diverse academic achievements, sports involvement, extracurricular activities, and health-promoting initiatives of local schools.
Marika Baleca, Senior Education Advisor for the Nausori Education District, commended the collective efforts of teachers, students, and parents in fostering environments that support learning and personal development. In an interview with Fiji One News, Baleca expressed the district’s goal of transforming all underperforming schools, referred to as Hope schools, into centers of academic excellence by next year, noting that the number of these schools has now dropped to 13.
Many schools expressed appreciation for the acknowledgment, with several principals stating that the event served as a significant morale booster for both students and staff. Rejnish Dayal, Vice Principal of Waidina College, emphasized the motivational impact of rewards, highlighting the importance of recognition in encouraging hard work.
The awards night featured various categories recognizing schools that excelled in academic performance, sports participation, and extracurricular activities, as well as those that promote health and well-being among students. Baleca mentioned that schools achieving 100 percent pass rates in examinations would be awarded, reinforcing the importance of motivation in striving for further improvements.
The event not only honored the accomplishments of the past year but also sought to inspire ongoing excellence and innovation in the future.