A school dropout for four years impressed everyone when he walked up to Minister for Education Mahendra Reddy to receive the Dux Award last Friday.
Hirdesh Singh, the headboy of Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Dreketi outside Labasa Town, left school after completing Year 12 in 2010.
“I had to leave school because my father didn’t have money to pay for my school fees,” Hirdesh said.
“Being a sugarcane farmer, he was only able to deliver 25 tonnes of sugarcane to the mill because of many constraints.
“For four years I worked with Dreketi Contractors Limited as a chain boy.
“My job was to put chains around pine trees and wait for the machine to pull them down.”
The second-eldest of four siblings said with his savings he helped his parents arrange his sister’s wedding and send two siblings to school.
“During my years of struggle I never gave up hope because I knew my sacrifice for the love of my family will never be in vain,” he said.
“The former principal of this school, Vikash Karan, asked me to return to school when Government started the free education and free text books schemes.
“I only had to buy my school uniform, bag and shoes.”
Originally from Batiri in Macuata province, Hirdesh said despite many challenges and criticism he was determined to make his parents proud.
He also received four subject prizes for scoring highest marks in Agriculture, Biology, Technical Drawing and English.
Hirdesh wants to be a teacher in the field of agriculture.
“I would like to encourage school dropouts to return to school and complete their education,” he said.
Mr Reddy commended Hirdesh’s efforts.
“I am glad to see that school dropouts are making an effort to complete their education and making use of the many grants that we put in place,” he said.