While some classrooms have been damaged and destroyed, education has not stopped.
This was the comment of the Minister for Education Dr Mahendra Reddy in response to concerns being raised about plans to replace textbooks with tablets in schools.
Concerns have been raised by political parties and the public that efforts should instead be focused on rebuilding schools ravaged by Cyclone Winston.
From next year, Year 12 and Year 13 students could be using a tablet like this replaced the good old textbooks!
There are also plans in place to have other students use tablets in the near future.
Public opposition to this initiative have been swift, but the Education Ministry has defended their decision.
“See these people don’t understand that whilst some classrooms have been damaged and destroyed, education hasn’t stopped. These people want us to stop education, these people want our children to be irrelevant , these people want our children to be taught what use to be taught in 1960’s and 70’s. Thank God they’re not in Government.” said Dr Reddy
Out of 731 primary schools in the country, 214 primary schools do not have access to internet.
Two secondary schools – Wainimakutu and Yasawa do not have electricity.
There are a total of 177 secondary schools in Fiji.
The Education Minister said the supply of building materials also affects the progress of the rebuilding of schools.
“Slow and steady. The progress is affected due to availability of building materials, we’re a small country, we don’t produce everything, we’re having issues with corrugated iron, supply of timber, remember it’s not only schools, it’s homes as well that needs to be constructed” said Dr Reddy
Several other initiatives by the Education Ministry like the Free Milk for class one students remain unaffected and continue as normal.
“Every project that we announce, we’ve undertaken consultation what we announced last week on digital literacy it was in an education forum, so it is being consulted, what we do is we further consolidate on what we’re doing ”
“One laptop per child is part of the digital programme whatever we announced it is part of the overall digital literacy framework that Prime Minister launched, so that’s there. Weetbix, free milk is there, it’s continuing , every children in year 1 is getting that ”
Asked whether parents will be consulted on the replacement of textbooks with tablets, the Minister says he will be releasing details later.
The initiative is expected to cost $250,000.
The Ministry is seeking funds from donors to fund the cost of handsets while government will provide data.