The Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Premila Kumar confirmed that discussions were underway to set late opening and closing school dates for 2023.

This was in response to Barotu, Ra Primary school manager, Anu Prakash’s suggestion last week during a ministerial tour of the school.

Mr Prakash made the suggestion that schools open and close late due to the impacts of flooding on communities as schools had to close for safety concerns.

Ms Kumar said the same suggestion had been made by the business community in Suva and that it was a very valid one.

“They are all saying that you close the school late in December and you open the school late so don’t open the school in January, open the school in February just like in Australia and New Zealand they have a reason for it because when we travel most of our family, relatives are in Australia, New Zealand,” she said.

“January is the critical month for us and we’ve often seen if you look at cyclones, you’ll see its December 25th, it goes on till the end of January and I’m not saying there will be no cyclone in February or March, but this period is the rainy period and we expect a lot more floods, so we will consider it.”

She said the Ministry of Education had already worked out the school terms for next year.

“We have worked out the terms for 2023 and for 2022 the schools will close just for a week and a half before Christmas, so very close to Christmas, we will be closing the school so definitely if we calculate backwards the schools can open late,” Ms Kumar said.

Feedback:  salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj