Electricity has the potential to significantly enhance the educational environment for students and teachers at Domonisavu Primary School in Nayarabale, Cakaudrove. The school, which serves 67 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, has been without electricity for the past seven years.
Located 60 kilometers from Labasa town, Domonisavu Primary employs five teachers. School manager Manoa Tamaitugi noted that when the school was established by the community in 1960, they relied on kerosene lamps initially and later acquired a generator for power.
“Thanks to the European Union, we received a large solar panel in 2007, but it broke down after ten years,” Mr. Tamaitugi explained. Since 2017, they have made both verbal and written requests to the Ministry of Education for new solar panels to support the school.
The lack of electricity has forced teachers to travel to Labasa to print essential educational materials like worksheets and exam papers. “Having electricity would greatly enhance our children’s learning. It would allow us to utilize printing and photocopy machines and provide better lighting for extra classes,” he said.
Furthermore, the availability of electricity would support the use of teaching aids such as televisions, laptops, and projectors, along with providing internet access and the ability to charge devices.
Students at DPS hail from multiple nearby settlements, including Nayarable Village, Baleyaganiga, Nayaqalevu, Tabia, Dokanaisuva, and Namagala. The school consists of four classrooms, a library, an early childhood education unit, a headteacher’s office, and quarters for four teachers.
Mr. Tamaitugi expressed that while parents recognize the school’s rural status, they have consistently urged him to seek assistance from the Ministry of Education, noting that other schools in urban areas receive government support. He pointed out that there is no mobile network at the school, requiring teachers to walk to higher ground to make phone calls.
“We are hopeful that the government can help us with solar panels, as it would motivate the children to excel in their studies,” he stated.
When approached in Parliament, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro assured that he would address the matter and provide a response.