Thousands of students in Taveuni are expected to receive transport support this week after the Ministry of Education moved to minimise disruptions to school bus services ahead of the Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (LANA).
Permanent Secretary for Education Navin Raj says the Ministry is working closely with the Office of the Commissioner Northern, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Fiji Police Force, school leaders and other stakeholders to ensure students can continue attending school safely.
Raj says he met with key stakeholders in Savusavu, Vanua Levu yesterday, to discuss contingency plans in case transport services are disrupted.
He says the discussions focused on maintaining students' access to education while the transport issue is being addressed.
The Ministry has put in place contingency measures, including transport assistance, close monitoring of student attendance and bus services, and ongoing coordination with schools and partner agencies.
According to the LTA, standby transport providers have been identified across affected routes in Taveuni and are ready to operate if regular bus services are interrupted.
Raj says the Ministry's priority is to ensure every student can continue their education safely and with as little disruption as possible.
He also acknowledged that Year 5 and Year 7 students are scheduled to sit the Literacy and Numeracy Assessment on Tuesday, 21 July, and Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
Raj says students who are unable to attend school due to verified transport disruptions beyond their control will be assessed in accordance with the Ministry's Assessment Policy.
Where appropriate, affected students may be allowed to sit the assessment on a later approved date to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged.
The Ministry thanked the Office of the Commissioner Northern, the Land Transport Authority, the Fiji Police Force, school heads, transport providers and Ministry officials for working together to support students during the situation.
Raj says the Ministry will continue monitoring developments and provide updates as necessary.
The Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, has assured parents, students and the people of Taveuni that Government has activated a comprehensive operational mitigation plan to ensure uninterrupted transport of school children and the continued accessibility of essential public transport services across Taveuni. Ro Filipe says government fully understands the importance of reliable transport for students, workers and communities on the island. He says the welfare of our students and the people of Taveuni comes first and they will not allow any disruption to prevent children from attending school or communities from accessing essential services.
Government has directed all relevant agencies to work together to ensure transport services continue without interruption.
The response follows a decision by a local bus company to suspend student bus services unless school bus fares are increased.
In letters sent to all 12 primary schools and five secondary schools on Taveuni, the company advised that student bus services would be suspended from Monday unless the fare issue is resolved.
