Parents in Lalakoro, Seaqaqa say their children’s education and safety are at risk as a failing school transport service has caused students to miss weeks of classes, with some now travelling to school in cane-carting trucks.
Mohammed Zibran Hussein, a parent of two children attending Vunimanuca Primary School told fijivillage News that the vehicle assigned to pick up students from Lalakoro has not been operating reliably since the start of the school term.
He says this problem has persisted since last year and that while the transport used to fail during rainy weather, it is now becoming increasingly common for it not to arrive at all.
Hussein says around 15 students have been affected and have been missing school, severely impacting their learning and attendance.
He adds that in the absence of school transport, some parents have had no choice but to send their children in cane trucks, which poses a serious safety risk.
Hussein says repeated attempts to contact the driver have gone unanswered.
He says the issue was also reported to the Head Teacher of Vunimanuca Primary School who has informed him that several complaints have already been lodged with the Ministry of Education, but no solution has been provided to date.
Hussein says the prolonged disruption has left both parents and school staff frustrated and helpless, as all available channels appear to have been exhausted without any response.
He is now calling on the relevant authorities to urgently investigate the issue and ensure a reliable school transport service is restored so students can return to regular classes without further disruption.
Questions have been sent to the Ministry of Education, and they are looking into the matter.
