Teaching isn’t a profession everyone is cut out for, but with a strong passion and dedication to service, it becomes possible to make a meaningful impact on a child’s life.
Sereana Tuapati, who has over two decades of teaching experience, testifies to this. Her love for teaching has led her to numerous classrooms all over the country, extending even to the most isolated school on Rotuma Island.
Currently serving as the principal of Rotuma High School, the island’s only secondary school, Ms. Tuapati initially hails from Rewa and has maternal ties to Uto Village in Nadi. She started teaching in Rotuma in 2017 and has continued since then without regrets.
After receiving the appointment from the education ministry seven years ago, she relocated to the island with her two sons, embracing the adventure and the inherent challenges.
Having a conversational barrier due to the local language difference posed a significant challenge to her initially. However, she has since not only learnt the language but also the local culture. Her two sons also attended Rotuma High School during her tenure there.
Mrs. Tuapati got her earliest inspiration to venture into teaching as a young adult and has followed through since then. She commenced her teaching career at Gau Secondary School in 1998 before moving to Dilkusha High School, followed by Waidina Secondary and Mulomulo Secondary School.
She credits the opportunities she found in teaching, declaring that she discovered it was a passion she excelled in.
Even in their isolation, her students at Rotuma High School are very diligent and mostly further their education in tertiary institutions on Viti Levu after high school. Some of the alumni from her school have even secured Chinese scholarships and are currently studying in China.
As appealing as retirement in Rotuma sounds, Ms. Tuapati still considers returning to the mainland to spend more time with her family.
She encourages young people in Fiji to consider teaching as a profession due to its critical role in shaping the lives of children and communities. She pushes those who find a knack for teaching to explore in-demand fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, and industrial arts. This way, they don’t just secure employment, but also have a chance to help shape responsible, productive future citizens.