Valelawa Primary School in Macuata continues to hold classes in recycled tents. Other schools facing similar challenges are located in Yadua Village, Bua, and on Qamea Island at Laucala District School. These institutions experienced damage to their classrooms during natural disasters, leading to students being placed in temporary shelters or tents.
Laucala District School was impacted by a landslide in 2016, while Yadua Village School was affected by Tropical Cyclone Yasa in 2020. Built by parents 70 years ago, Valelawa Primary School originally featured four classrooms, all of which were damaged during TC Yasa.
The school is approximately an hour’s drive from Labasa Town and situated about two kilometers from the main road, lacking public transport. Hemant Kumar, one of the school’s three trustees, reported that the wooden building’s foundation began to shake earlier this year, rendering it unsafe for students and teachers. After notifying the Ministry of Education (MOE), the school was advised to have the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) conduct a termite inspection, which cleared the area of infestations.
The ministry subsequently provided two tents for students and teachers in Classes Three through Six. Kumar indicated that these tents had been used previously at another school affected by the cyclone. However, these old tents have issues, such as leaking during heavy rain and becoming excessively hot without ventilation.
For over six months, 70 students and four teachers have been accommodating in these tents.
A 52-year-old farmer and former student expressed his disappointment that his daughter is attending classes in such conditions, noting a lack of communication from the school regarding the shift to tents. One student compared the tent to a goat shelter, citing an incident where goat feces were found inside. Another student commented on the leaking conditions affecting their seating area, while a teacher remarked that they had to remain silent on these issues to secure funding for rebuilding efforts.
MOE Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca stated during a visit to Labasa that she was not aware of students studying in tents, claiming only two maritime primary schools were eligible for assistance. Despite her expressions of unawareness, the school manager, Dhirendra Prasad, indicated that officials have visited and taken reports on the situation.
To address some of their needs, the school plans to host a two-day bazaar on October 19-20 to raise funds necessary for opening a bank account and covering labor costs for the construction of new facilities. Prasad emphasized the school’s priority of addressing the immediate needs of preschoolers before focusing on permanent classrooms for all students.