A total of 370 schools have been devastated by cyclones since 2016.

Education Minister Aseri Radrodro says Tropical Cyclone Winston devastated 206 schools, TC Keni and Harold affected 38 schools, and 126 were damaged by TC Yasa in the last two years.

Radrodro says 167 out of the 370 schools affected by tropical cyclones during this period were repaired either by the school management or through the quick fix initiative.

“206 schools were affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston, and to date, we are happy to say that the total of 206 schools have been completed in terms of the rehabilitation and repair works that were conducted in them. There are also works carried out post-TC Keni and TC Harold, which occurred in 2016, and some of the schools that were repaired during TC Keni were also affected when TC Harold hit Fiji.”

203 schools were rebuilt and repaired by the government and Radrodro says most of these schools are from the Northern Division.

“32 schools were rebuilt and repaired through the consolidated assistance of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and these schools have either been repaired or rebuilt or have been provided with temporary learning spaces and tents to ensure that classes start on time at the beginning of the school year. “A total of 32 schools were facilitated by the Quick Fix initiative; 16 schools were assisted by DFAT at a cost of around $45K; and 16 schools were assisted by the Ministry of Education at a cost of $103K.”

India, Japans and Australia are some countries that have helped in the rebuilding of schools after cyclones since 2016, while schools with minor damages were taken care of by their school committees.