Flood-Delayed Students Allowed to Sit Papers after Missing Exam Schedule
Two Year 8 students and a Year 12 in Rakiraki managed to sit for the external examinations two hours after flood waters receded in the area.
The three sat for the exams at Naroko Primary. The Year 12 student could not travel to Rakiraki Town because of the heavy rains.
The Year 8 students from Rewasa Village attend Naroko Primary School in Rakiraki while the Year 12 student, also from the same village, attends Penang High School.
Earlier in the morning, the students were stuck on the other side of the Drana Bridge braving the heavy rains resulting in the flooded the bridge.
This was confirmed by an aunt of one of the said students, Liti Mana, of Rewasa Village in Rakiraki, Ra.
Ms Mana is also an Early Childhood Education teacher for the Vatukacevaceva Kindergarten.
“I was travelling from Rewasa to Vatukacevaceva when I witnessed two year 12 students (known to me) swimming in flooded rivers,” she said.
“They swam the flooded rivers in their outings with the help of their parents. After they managed to cross, they changed into their uniforms and boarded the bus. My niece told me that she was not able to cross the bridge at Drana in Rakiraki because the currents were strong.
“I called the divisional officer to advise him of the challenges that my niece was facing and she was advised to go and wait at Naroko District School because the paper had started.”
The Permanent Secretary for Education, Anjeela Jokhan, confirmed that students impacted by the flooding yesterday, were ‘taken care of ’.
“We are looking after them and making sure that they are not disadvantaged in any way, there are various things to do,” she said.
The external examination paper for Year 12 yesterday was for Chemistry and Office Technology while for Year 8, it was Basic Science and Social Science.
On Tuesday, the Fiji Meteorogical Service issued heavy rain warning for Viti Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Lau and Lomaiviti groups.
By yesterday, the warning was for low lying areas and small streams within Tavua, Ba and Rakiraki rivers. This was due to a trough of low pressure which had gradually moved eastwards.
Poll day weather today
The Fiji Meteorological Service Office director Teri Atalifo is calling on voters to go out and vote as fine weather is forecasted around the country today.
He said the weather today should be predominant throughout the Fiji group.