Building materials for 16 schools will be shipped off to Vanua Levu today for commencement of repair works by personnel from the Australian Defence Force and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.

Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Rosy Akbar said while their focus was on repairing the damaged classrooms, some schools would operate in temporary learning centres like tents which they plan to remove within the next six months.

She said the personnel would be deployed to carry out quick fixes on schools that have been identified in liaison with school managements.

An additional 17 schools would then be repaired by the ministry.

She said the United Nations Children’s Fund and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) would be handing over relief assistance for education today which will be loaded and shipped on the HMAS Adelaide.

The ministry will revisit the start of the school dates gauging on the repair works that would be done in the coming week.

Repairing of teachers quarters currently rests with the school managements with the support of the ministry.

“School will not be normal for the affected communities, but parents should start sending their children to school because stationery will be distributed when they come to school,” Ms Akbar said.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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