A total of 194 students of Vuya District School had a reason to smile yesterday as Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama opened two classrooms with 60 tables and chairs with two teacher’s quarters.

The school, which was opened in 1960, caters for Vuya, Vunirara and Nabouwalu.

With the building of the new classrooms, teacher’s quarters with the 60 tables and chairs was funded by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Laisa Vakayadra, 54-year-old of Vunirara said the joy and smiles on the faces of the children yesterday showed their happiness.

Mrs Vakayadra, who has two of her children attending the school, said the school committee wanted to renovate the school for a long time with plans being done.

“The cyclone came and brought havoc. Parents, teachers and students were happy with Government assistance to reconstruct the school and build new classrooms,” she said.

“Now students have chairs to sit on during school hours. We are so happy with the Government assistance. Now, each classroom has their own teachers – as before, a teacher had to teach two classes in one classroom.

“With the opening of the reconstructed classrooms, normalcy is just around the corner and we thank Government,” he said.

Vuya District School was one of the few classrooms severely damaged by Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016 with roofs of the classrooms blown away with the school’s furniture destroyed.

Penaiasi Qalova, 49-year-old of Nabouwalu, said there had been a lot of changes to the school.

“So in one room we had like two Year 8 streams with close to 60 students sharing one room,” Mr Qalova said.

“Now we are back to normal and the whole school fraternity would like to thank Mr Bainimarama and his Government for the assistance.

“We are really happy with what Government has done and our children will now have a computer room and a library, which is just great.”

While officiating of the opening of the new classroom, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said

“We are celebrating Fiji Day a bit earlier this morning (yesterday) here at the Vuya District School as we officially open this new classroom block and hand over 60 new desks and chairs for your students,” Mr Bainimarama said.

“Over the past decade, I’ve been all across the Northern Division opening new development projects at a rate that no government before has ever achieved.

“New water taps, new electrification projects, new roads, and new bridges, ports and jetties, we’ve expanded access to critical services, bringing better quality healthcare and expanding the reach of essential Government services as well.

“Just last month we commissioned a massive new submarine cable project that will bring high speed telecommunications across your entire division, and I’ve opened new and upgraded school facilities, built to a higher cyclone-resilient standard.

“It’s a simple equation that creates development. When the economy grows, our national cake grows bigger, and we can fund the development projects that transform Fijian lives and wellbeing for the better.

“The Fijian economy today is the biggest and best it has ever been, with nine straight years of growth, and positive projections ahead if we maintain our present course. And that is why we’re able to deliver so much new development across the country, and deliver on the great promises we’ve made to the Fijian people.

“Visiting with our students around the country is the best part of my job as Prime Minister. Making primary and secondary education free in Fiji remains my proudest achievement, and days like today, seeing your school full of students so excited and willing to learn, is another wonderful example of why investment in our students – and in their potential – is so important.”

The assistance from the Prime Minister office was $282,000 with the rehabilitation works from Tropical Cyclone Winston was about $100,000.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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