Schools in Koro will start this week, says the Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy, after his visit to Koro on Saturday.

He said he was able to visit six primary schools and the high school on the island.

Mr Reddy said all the schools on the island had sustained massive damage.

“However the thing that was more challenging was the loss of staff quarters,” he said.

The Australian military personnel deployed on the island had been assisting the ministry to get the roof back for a number of schools.

“Assisted by tents, these schools are ready to start next week…some on Monday and some on other days during the week because teachers are slowly returning from the mainland as we provide family tents for them,” he said.

Mr Reddy said the next five weeks would be the most challenging for them because they would be sharing the ablution block with the school.

Meanwhile, the president of the Fijian Teachers Association, Gauna Halofaki, said teachers from Koro who had come to Suva soon after Tropical Cyclone Winston, had returned to the island to prepare for classes.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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