PM commissions teachers quarters at Nabukaluka District School in Naitasiri

For decades, that spark of inspiration was missing from many schools in rural and maritime regions as their facilities including teachers’ quarters were noticeably shabbier than schools in urban areas.

That was highlighted by the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama when commissioning the teachers’ quarters at Nabukaluka District School in Naitasiri today.

Bainimarama says the government has allocated an unprecedented 13.8 million dollars towards location allowances for primary and secondary teachers in remote areas.

Bainimarama says instead of leaving rural communities stuck in the past, the FijiFirst Government is steadily expanding the network of high-quality educational facilities across the hundreds of rural communities across the country.

Bainimarama says the education of young Fijians is a paramount priority for his Government and a cause to which he holds as a great personal devotion.

He says for this year they are including early childhood education teachers in the initiative for the first time ever, with $500,000 for their location allowances.

He says across all levels of learning, this has been a big step in the right direction when it comes to levelling the playing field in education.

He says when schools are damaged in severe cyclones, such as TC Winston, they are building them back to a stronger, cyclone resilient standard.

Bainimarama says whether a young person comes up in the heart of Suva or the countryside of Bua they will attend classes in modern, functional facilities, they will have access to the newest technologies and curriculum and they will be instructed by passionate, knowledgeable and qualified teachers who are compensated fairly and who live with the security of high-quality housing.

He says our economy is growing more modern, we are welcoming new development, technologies, and opportunities, and we need young people who are equipped to carry our progress forward through the coming decades.

He says over the past two weeks, he opened projects similar to this at Sawanikula Primary School, Ratu Veikoso Primary School, and the Cautata District School.