Vatuvonu Adventist College: ‘All normal as term two begins’

Vatuvonu Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) College in Cakaudrove Province began its second school term with normal operations yesterday.

This was confirmed yesterday by the interim school committee manager Samu Samumatua, who is also the District Officer of Tukavesi.

“The school, from Years Nine to 13, has a student roll of 178 and 21 teachers, and most of them attended school during the opening. There is no problem and everything is under control,” he said.

The school was run by the executive committee of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Fiji and had informed the parents, teachers and students that they would close the school on May 20, this year.

An interim committee was formed last month after the High Court issued an order to prevent the shutdown of the school from happening because they were doing it without a sanction from the Permanent Secretary of Education.

Vatuvonu SDA College landowner, school farm manager and interim committee member Lemeki Leve confirmed the school was managed by an interim committee.

“I have checked the school and found out that everything is normal, meaning teachers and students are in school,” Mr Leve said.

“Parents, students and teachers do not need to worry about the school closure.” The Ministry of Education, in a press release, stated that a number of allegations were raised of mismanagement and abuse of funds against the college trustees or their agents.  These allegations are currently under investigation.

Given the current investigations, the High Court has further ordered that the management of the school be given over to the Ministry of Education in the interim.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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