Woodwork was once an important part of education in Fiji, and since its introduction, many young lads across Fiji became skilled members of the community.
On May 5, 1959, The Fiji Times published a story of a group of schoolboys from Vanuabalavu in Lau and their journey with woodworking.
The boat building course at Adi Maopa School started in 1956, and since then 10 punts of varying sizes had been built and, for the most part, sold to people in Lau.
The school had its own outboard-propelled boat with which the boys journeyed to other parts of Vanuabalavu to collect material for knees and stems for their work.
Sixteen boys lived in a hostel which was formerly the district commissioner’s house and from these, eight Lauan boys were selected each year to attend a two-year course.
Their fees were paid from funds set aside for the purpose in provincial estimates.
Viliame Pareti, a former employee of the Public Works Department boatbuilding established at Suva, was the instructor since the course began.
In addition to boat-building, the boys studied rural crafts of all kinds, and cultivated their own food gardens.
The objective of the courses was to develop them as skilled members of their village communities.
The Adi Maopa School also had a well-equipped woodwork room which was used by the senior boys and by extension classes under the guidance of Josefa Nuku.
