Poor connectivity hinders education in Nakasa Village

Access to reliable daily internet services remains a distant dream for students in Nakasa Village in Cakaudrove, affecting their ability to conduct research and keep pace with modern learning demands.

Turaga ni Yavusa Vadrani, Semesa Tubese, said the village’s geographical isolation in the interior of the province continued to limit connectivity.

Mr Tubese said while students in urban centres enjoyed high-speed and reliable internet access, children in Nakasa lagged behind in accessing this essential resource.

He called on Government to assist in improving connectivity so students could develop skills in sourcing credible information online for their studies.

“Our children lack this skill; we need to grow in it,” he said.

Mr Tubese said ongoing mobile network issues also affected basic communication, with poor reception often preventing villagers from making phone calls or accessing information.

He said even viewing news updates or making a simple call remained a daily struggle.

However, he believed the situation could improve if Government assisted in providing Starlink internet connectivity to the village.

“To grow our rural dwellers, we need Government to invest in improving our communication with the outside world. This will help us better market our produce, check for Government assistance and be aware of cyclone threats,” he said.

Mr Tubese stressed that during tropical disturbances, timely updates were crucial to allow villagers to prepare and protect themselves from strong winds and cyclones.

He added that equipping children with proper education and digital literacy skills would better position them as future landowners.

“We landowners need our children to be educated and possess digital skills to help us understand Government processes, which are now digitalised,” he said.

Minister for Rural, Maritime and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu said he had informed his team of the issues affecting Nakasa Village.

Mr Tubese also highlighted the need for support for the village kindergarten, which has limited educational resources. He called on individuals and organisations to assist.

“Kindergarten is the early years of a child’s development, so having ample resources helps ensure our children have the learning materials they need to prosper,” he said.