Right call from Akbar on school Opening in North
Minister for Education Rosy Akbar’s call for parents to send their children to school on January 19 because schools will be open is welcome.
She has made sure that schools would be ready by then. That was her message to the school managers and heads of schools in the North when she met them over two days.
Now the responsibility is on them to ensure it happens.
Teachers have been advised to report to their respective schools on January 18.
Her ministry and other relevant agencies and organisations are working around the clock to get the school facilities damaged by Cyclone Yasa repaired and ready for use. Officers have sacrificed family time and public holidays to make sure that when students and their parents turn up at the beginning of the school term, classes are set to start.
Parents have been urged not to worry about uniforms. If the uniforms are not ready they should still send their children to school. The students will not be sent home if they are wearing their mufti.
There will be a needs assessment when they are in schools and arrangements will be made for assistance in terms of stationeries, bags and shoes. Energy Fiji Limited and Water Authority of Fiji teams are working frantically to restore power and water supply essential to get the schools up and running.
This week schools used as evacuation centres will be cleared.
Ms Akbar says she is talking to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces about sending its engineeres to help rebuild damaged schools.
Personnel from the HMAS Adelaide would help rebuild temporary school facilities on Galoa Island in Bua.
The collaborative efforts are remarkable and there are signs that the schools affected will be ready by the due date.
Like Ms Akbar said there had been a lot of sacrifice involved to ensure the needed work is done.
Now it’s up to the parents/guardians to prepare their children for school. There is absolutely no excuse for students to be absent from day one unless there are extenuating circumstances like sickness or family tragedies.
Ms Akbar’s plan sets the pace for the year.
It requires the participation of all stakeholders to make it work. It would be a terrible waste if the facilities are ready but no student turns up. Last year COVID-19 seriously disrupted teaching and learning when schools were closed and students had to stay home. This year it’s important that we all start on time.