Minister for Health and Medical Services has encouraged teachers in Vanua Balavu to continue to serve with dignity as they carry out a very important role in their respective communities.
During the visit, Minister Waqainabete, who is on the island with the assessment team from Suva, thanked civil servants on the island for their work throughout the years especially during the COVID outbreaks in Viti Levu.
“I know the importance of your role as teachers and I also know that your children will do very well,” said the Minister.
“One important message that I want to share with your today is that we must keep moving forward and that it is relatively safe to open the schools and we also know that we have a very high vaccination rate, much higher than other countries around the world.”
As the Minister noted, classrooms in schools around Vanua Balavu do not have the sheer number of students that they do in Suva, and cross ventilation is a key factor in making schools on the island a safe place to study.
“The Ministry of Health supports you in the work that you do and we will assist you if you need anything from us,” the Minister assured the teachers.
“For the development of children, their interaction in school is very important and at some stage they will have to go to school.”