All parents, guardians and students are advised that schools will remain closed until further notice.
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar said that the date for the reopening of schools will be announced once all evacuation centres are cleared.
"Some of these schools are still being used as evacuation centres. Until these evacuation centres have been cleared, schools will remain closed. However, we do not want to delay reopening of schools, if possible," said Minister Kumar.
Minister Kumar said that it was important to reopen schools as soon as possible, considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has already had a major impact on the education sector.
Children have already suffered a great loss of in-person learning time with over 200,000 children in Fiji losing more than 1,000 hours of in-person learning . That is 200 million hours of lost in-person learning. Children’s education should not be impacted any further, which is why once the all clear has been given, school for Years 8 to 13 will resume, with the necessary COVID-safety protocols for classrooms to be followed once students are in school.
Minister Kumar, who has been visiting schools affected by the recent cyclone and floods, said it was very unfortunate that Fijians had to face another natural disaster during this pandemic.
"These are indeed very challenging times, and as I heard from the students, teachers and members of schools management about the flood issues that they have been facing. I was also very impressed by their strength and determination, and I commend them for their resilience. I know that this same spirit is present with those who were affected by the tidal waves affecting their settlements and villages.”
"As we can see from the impacts of these recent disasters, it is crucial that we do everything we can to mitigate its impacts. This is why our Prime Minister leads the charge on the global stage to rally support in the fight against climate change- the stakes have never been higher for island nations like ours."
While schools are closed, educational programmes will continue to be played on the Walesi Education Channel 10. The Numeracy and Literacy programmes for primary schools will be aired on Radio Fiji Channel 1 and 2.
Educational videos, including revision videos for Years 12 and 13, and Literacy and Numeracy radio programmes can also be accessed from the LearningHub, on the Ministry’s website at
www.education.gov.fj/. The LearningHub has other educational resources that can be accessed and viewed.
Teachers and Heads of Schools must report to school to prepare classrooms for our students Also teachers should try to reach out to their students and provide learning resources remotely.