The Ministry of Education says teachers who were not affected by flooding have been asked to report to work.

This comes as they need to prepare Years 12 and 13 for examinations.

The Education Ministry says it is perplexed by the comments of the Fiji Teachers Union on why teachers unaffected by flooding were asked to return to school.

FTU General Secretary, Agni Deo Singh had said the Ministry does not understand that teachers are also affected, and should be allowed to stay home until the weather clears.

Singh had said that the decision should be reviewed.

The Education Ministry says a lot of time has been lost due to COVID-19, and teachers need to prepare lesson plans, complete paperwork, prepare worksheets, and ensure schools are fully prepared for students.

It says the unaffected teachers were asked to report to work, just the same as other unaffected civil servants who were also at work.

The Ministry says teachers are civil servants and as such, the rules that apply to civil servants apply to them.

It says the Ministry’s advice was clear that those affected can stay and work from home.

It also says that FTU needs to understand civil servants’ duty of care to the nation and that all civil servants are treated equally.

In a statement, the Ministry says their message said that if teachers are affected, whether they have to travel short or long distances, the decision to stay home was left to them.