PM: WE ARE INVESTING IN HIGH QUALITY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
THAT IS WHY WE ARE PUTTING IN THE TIME AND RESOURCES TO BUILD SCHOOLS THAT WILL LAST We’ve poured resources into the education of our people because we are fully committed to the success of the next generation of Fijians and we want to give them every adv
Below are excerpts of the Prime Minister’s speech at Naweni District School, Vanua Levu
Bula vinaka and good afternoon. Thank you all for the warm welcome. It’s my pleasure to be here this afternoon to officially open the newly-constructed Naweni District School – one of the many schools in Fiji we’ve reconstructed to a far higher standard of resilience. My Government has seen many successes, from record-low unemployment to eight straight years of economic growth and prosperity but, as I’ve said many times, my proudest accomplishment has been the education revolution we have experienced at schools just like this one, all throughout Fiji.
Every student in Fiji now has access to free, quality education, free textbooks and Government-subsidised transportation. In fact, 97 per cent of students here at Naweni District School utilise our school transport voucher system, meaning parents don’t need to be burdened with the cost and time it would previously take to get their child to school.
No longer weighed down by financial obligations, parents can focus fully on supporting their children in their studies, and students can focus fully on learning.
Those who choose to continue on with their education after graduating from secondary school also have more opportunities at their feet than at any point in Fijian history.
Govt’s commitment to rebuild
My Government has expanded access to scholarships, as well as funding through TELS, our affordable Tertiary Education Loans Scheme, allowing more of our young people to go on to higher education, including our nationwide network of technical colleges, than ever before.
We’ve poured resources into the education of our people because we are fully committed to the success of the next generation of Fijians and we want to give them every advantage we can possibly give; that means investing in education, and setting in place a foundation of development that can support our future growth and prosperity.
That is why we’ve also invested so heavily in new, high standard infrastructure all across the country – infrastructure that will last, even in the face of climate change.
I know here in Naweni, you all can appreciate the importance of that vision even more than most.
You all experienced the destructive force of Cyclone Winston. Before that, you witnessed Cyclone Thomas in 2010. And in 2002, Cyclone Ami did serious damage to your community as well. So I know I don’t need to spend any time speaking about the scale of the threat we face, because your community has seen the devastating impacts of climate change first hand.
Each of those cyclones inflicted serious damage here because past leadership in this country never invested in high-quality infrastructure for your community. They built poorly constructed schools that crumbled in the face of severe weather, they failed to see the bigger picture and they failed to consider the long-term. And unfortunately, the story of Naweni is a story that can be told far too often in far too many places in Fiji. In fact, 95 per cent of schools destroyed by Cyclone Winston were originally constructed without any building plans at all. My Government isn’t making those same short-sighted mistakes. As Prime Minister, I am not prepared to let your community, or any community in Fiji, remain stuck in that same vicious and traumatic cycle. We are saying that enough is enough. And we are investing in high quality school construction that is worthy of our students, teachers and communities. When Cyclone Thomas levelled two wooden classroom buildings at this very school, my Government rebuilt those classrooms on concrete foundations, and those classrooms went on to withstand the force of Cyclone Winston. Now, we are opening four more classrooms that are fully equipped with toilets and showers, a new library, and two duplex teachers’ quarters – all constructed to a higher standard of resilience, from the very foundation to the roof, out of materials that are built to last for when the next storm strikes.
Because the reality is that storms like Cyclone Winston are only going to become stronger and more frequent in the years ahead due to the effects of climate change. That is why we are putting in the time and resources to construct schools that will last, to give our students schools they can count on – even in times of crisis.
Media reporting drama
Ladies and gentlemen, we all know how a certain newspaper likes to report the news. They thrive solely on drama and controversy. They do not account for the completed safe, storm resistant schools.
There are schools that are still being built, however they do not accurately report on why this is the case. There are many factors that have an impact on how soon school buildings will be completed.
These are the need to plan, design and engineer these school structures to better withstand climatic changes, the adverse weather conditions, the availability of certified construction companies, the availability of building materials during a construction boom, and school management and committees giving timely approvals. These are some of the key factors that have an impact on the completion of the schools that needs to be constructed after cyclone Winston.
Therefore, there needs to be accurate and responsible reporting that tells the whole and true story.
Building on a solid foundation
My Government continues to be steadfast in designing and building safer and stronger schools that best serve our Fijian students and which equips them with the necessary tools to succeed.
Just like with our schools, I am committed to building all of Fiji on a solid foundation – one that is built to last far beyond our own lifetimes. I am building a future that will open more doors to Fiji’s young people than ever before. I am building a future that will continue to benefit our children, our grandchildren, and our future generations for decades to come. I am building a stronger Fiji, a more resilient Fiji, a more prosperous Fiji – a Fiji for all Fijians. Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.