Students of Muaira District School in Naitasiri will be full of joy when classes resume on the 4th of January next year as they now have newly upgraded and category 5 compliant classrooms waiting for them.
The Fijian Government invested $1.5 million in rehabilitating three buildings, completed major structural upgrading works for two buildings and constructed a new double story, a one by six building.
While officiating at the commissioning of the classrooms, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says they had to make these improvements because COVID-19 is not the only global crisis the country is facing.
He says climate change, stronger storms, rising seas, flooding and erratic weather present the most serious threat to young people’s future.
Bainimarama says climate-driven damages to schools alone have cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars and by making such investments to strengthen schools, they are saving costs of rebuilding down the line.
He adds schools should be the most cyclone-resilient structure in every community because over 300 schools throughout Fiji serve as evacuation centres during severe weather events.
The Prime Minister says the new building is an investment in the future of children.
