Fijian schools are better ventilated and better prepared to handle COVID-19 than other schools globally, says Education Minister Premila Kumar.
She said in cases where social distancing could not be practised, natural and fan-driven ventilation was more than adequate to minimise risk.
Mrs Kumar said overcrowding was mainly an issue in urban schools.
“If you go to Europe, and other places, it’s just a building with number of classrooms, it’s not the way our classrooms are situated.Our schools are situated in such a manner that ventilation, cross ventilation is there,” she said.
“And the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF as well as the Ministry of Health, they recommended that we must have fans in the schools.
“A lot of schools have now installed fans in the classroom so there is ongoing movement of air and all the doors and windows are open but at the same time the children are wearing their masks, they are sanitising and all those practices.
“So we have taken the actual real situation of Fiji to bring about this change.
“For Fiji’s situation we have got fans as well as cross ventilation, and all doors and windows are open,” she said.
