‘Rebuild schools fast’

GOVERNMENT has been urged to ensure that schools destroyed or affected by disasters were renovated or rebuilt quickly.

This was one of the recommendations contained in a document by the Human Rights Council Working Group for the Universal Periodic Review for Fiji.

“The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women recommended that the State ensure that schools that had been destroyed or affected by disasters were renovated or rebuilt speedily in conformity with disaster resilience standards and provided appropriate hygiene and sanitation facilities,” the document stated.

The working group also revealed that the Committee on the Rights of the Child was concerned about rural schools being frequently faced with a lack of access to water, electricity or means of communication.

“The special rapporteur on education noted that teachers were reluctant to be posted to schools on small outlying islands and in remote areas because of poor living conditions and lack of proper infrastructure and utilities.

“UNESCO encouraged the State to strengthen further the teaching profession and improve financial incentives, especially to encourage teachers to work in remote and maritime schools.”

The document also highlighted that UNESCO had encouraged Government to ensure that financial resources were distributed to ensure that the quality of education was equitable between schools in urban areas and those in rural and maritime areas.