THIRTY-FOUR students of Delana Methodist High School in Levuka, Ovalau are attending classes in tents after their classroom was destroyed by fire in May this year.
Students of Year 10A have been temporarily relocated to the school’s vocational workshop as they await the next steps of action by authorities.
Assistant principal Golden Varea said the classroom caught fire on May 23 and that investigations were ongoing by police and Energy Fiji Ltd (EFL).
“Only one classroom in that building burnt — from the foundation to the ceiling,” he said.
“It didn’t spread to the other classrooms because of the cement bars on the sides of the classroom — the architecture of the building helped to prevent the spread of the fire.”
Mr Varea said classes for social science, history and geography were held in the tents provided by UNICEF in the wake of the fire.
“The Ministry of Education collaborated with international organisations and non-government organisations and we were able to receive two UNICEF tents.”
Secretary for Education of the Methodist Church, Kitione Radrodro, said the Ministry of Education was in charge of repairing the damaged classroom.
“The matter is with the ministry’s assets management unit and it is the responsibility of the ministry to pay for the repairs — the church will not be able to pay for it.”
When approached outside Parliament yesterday, Education Minister Aseri Radrodro said he wasn’t aware of the matter and asked that questions be sent to him.
