The Ministry of Education is mindful of the number of hours secondary schools used in preparing their athletes for the Coca-Cola Games. Those hours have to be compensated.
It is for this reason the Minister of Education, Mr Filipe Bole rescinded an earlier directive to stop holiday and Saturday classes from taking place. The safety of children and students is of paramount importance to the ministry, thus was the directive announced in the recent Fiji Principal’s Association Conference held in Suva last week.
The extra holiday and Saturday classes will resume under the close supervision of the Principals or Vice Principals of schools. Procedures such as attendance taking and punctuality will continue to be observed. Furthermore, students need not be kept in school any longer than necessary.
Subject teachers must be well prepared before classes begin with the Principal kept abreast with the objectives of the classes.
Mr Bole also stressed that no student should be taken in without a letter of consent from parents or guardians. Irregularity of students’ attendance must be monitored. This is where parents and the school should work together, Mr Bole adds.
Mr Filipe Bole, Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts, Youth and Sports, Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment.