Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has urged students to not take the government’s educational assistance for granted.
While opening the new 3-storey building with classrooms and a school gym at Queen Victoria School, Bainimarama told the students that because of government’s commitment to their education, their parents do not have to pay school fees, pay for textbooks or – if they financially qualify – pay for their transportation to school.
He urged them to not take their situation for granted.
Bainimarama says this has not been a usual school year.
He further says due to the serious health concerns from COVID-19, they made the tough call to shut Fiji’s schools in the interest of student and community safety.
The Prime Minister told the students because Fiji made the right moves at the right time to stop COVID-19, schools can safely re-open.
He says most students around the world would wish to be in their shoes as nations are being ravaged by the deadly coronavirus where schools are shut and no one can say for how long.
He has also encouraged students to work hard.
Bainimarama says in 2016, QVS was amongst hundreds of school damaged by TC Winston and government has invested $8.3 million to strengthen school buildings and build an entirely new facility.
He says just like we cannot build a school out off shaky structures, we cannot build a nation on anything less than a rock-solid knowledge-based foundation nor can we build good citizens without a strong foundation of moral principles.
He reminded the students to work hard, stay focused, be kind to their classmates, and believe in their potential.
