School power cut

Around 400 boarders at a government boarding school have been without electricity for more than two weeks.

This has forced students to study under dim floodlights and use torches to move around the dorms at night.

It is understood that an underground power cable supplying the school was reportedly damaged during nearby roadworks.

Permanent Secretary for Education Navin Raj confirmed on Friday that the Ministry of Education became aware of the disrupted power supply this week.

He said ministry officials were working around the clock to restore electricity.

“We are working around the clock on that.

It is time to finalise a few of the approvals, and we are open to it this weekend,” Mr Raj said.

“The problem has been identified and the team is aware. Our AIS (Asset and Infrastructure Services) team is on the ground, and we have got reports from the head of school, so we are looking into it,” he said.

The AISA is a division under the Ministry of Education, which branch oversees the physical development, maintenance, and rehabilitation of all government schools.

The Government strictly regulates school Sources said the outage has affected dormitories, classrooms and the dining hall, while only the newly JICA-funded classroom block and the school chapel still have electricity.

During the evening study the boarders have been using the new classrooms while those using the dining hall have been studying with lights emitted from flood lights outside.

The borders have been having their dinner early and have been using their torches to find their way around in the night.

Sources also claimed repairs could cost about $18,000 and that there were discussions about possible fundraising if responsibility for the damage could not be established.

Questions also remain over whether a police report has been lodged and whether the contractor or agency responsible for the alleged cable damage will be held liable.

When contacted the school principal who lives outside the school compound referred all questions to the ministry