Tents for Classes Under Scrutiny

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro has instructed a team from the ministry to investigate schools that would continue to hold classes in tents.

It is alleged that year three to year six students of Valelawa Primary School in Macuata would continue classes this year under recycled tents.

A close source said last year VPS students were under the same learning environment for six months.

“I am not aware of the school having classes in tents. I will send a team from the ministry in Labasa to find out,” Mr Radrodro said on Monday.

When told that there were concerns raised by parents about the misuse of funds by the management and that some classrooms in tents were used as a goat shed, he said that would also be part of the investigation.

Background of the school

One of the three trustees of the school, Hemant Kumar, said early last year the foundation of the wooden structure started shaking, making it not safe for children to continue classes there.

The school was built by parents of Valelawa 70 years ago and the building, which accommodates four classrooms, was damaged during Cyclone Yasa in 2020.

The school is about one hour drive from Labasa and then two kilometers off the main road.

“After the management notified the Ministry of Education it had declared that it was not safe for children and asked us to have Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) to do checkup for termites,” Mr Kumar said.

After the inspection, BAF gave clearance, stating there was no termite.

The ministry then arranged for two tents for classes three, four, five and six.

“MOE gave us tents which was used by Dreketi Primary School over a year as it was also affected by TC Yasa,” he said.

“These tents are really old and when it rains heavily there is water leakage and when its hot students have to bear with it since there is no fan.”

Mr Kumar is requesting for immediate solutions so that students and teachers can enjoy better learning environment.

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