The rehabilitation of Kocoma Village School in Qamea which was totally destroyed by TC Winston in 2016 is nearing completion.

Former School Manager Ilisoni Vakaloloma says the students have been without a proper learning facility for five years.

After TC Winston, classes resumed in tents for about two years and the students only moved out of the tents in 2019 upon the instruction of the Minister for Education.

Vakaloloma says till today, Year Five to Eight students are having classes in the village church, and Years One to Four are having classes in two vacant homes.

He says in 2019, construction work on the new school building which includes nine classrooms, two duplex quarters, a kindergarten, an office, a library and an ablution block started.

It will be completed in a couple of weeks.

Vakaloloma adds the construction work was delayed after the initial contractor left the project halfway into completion.

Kocoma Chief, Tui Maba Suliasi Tulega, says the vanua is happy as the new school building has been a long time coming and the children are anticipating the completion of the construction.

Kocoma Village School currently has a roll of 60 students.