The School Management Association of Fiji is calling for an urgent review of the school grant system, warning that inadequate funding is leaving schools unable to maintain facilities and meet health and safety requirements.
Association president Govind Singh made the comments after an 83-student school in Lau was given three months to address major occupational health and safety concerns or risk closure.
Mr Singh said existing grants were insufficient to cover repairs, particularly for rural and maritime schools.
“The grant formula in schools should be completely overhauled,” he said, questioning how urban primary schools receiving limited funding were expected to maintain standards.
He said schools faced increasing costs for repairs, ancillary staff and operations, with little or no funding available for major infrastructure work.
Mr Singh criticised the possibility of closing remote schools, saying it would unfairly affect children who already faced limited access to education.
“No school should close. It was built for a purpose. It’s still serving the purpose.”
He urged the Government to provide financial assistance for repairs and consider using agencies such as military engineers to restore ageing school facilities rather than shutting schools down.
