ULUIVALILI College in Savusavu received its first grant yesterday at the Japanese Embassy under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) program.
The high school, established by the Ministry of Education in 2012, was one of the few schools selected by the program to receive the assistance.
Rupeni Valaca, principal and grant contract signatory of Uluivalili College, said the grant would help as the school only had five classrooms and three new classrooms would help to better facilitate the students as some classes were held under tents.
“One of these classrooms will be used for our Year 9 as the roll has increased to 60, one is for Year 10 and the other is for Year 12,” he added. Mr Valaca said the school was made to cater for students from Wailevu, parts of Kubulau and Wainunu.
“Most people from Wailevu, when they come out of primary school, they have to move from their village to places like Labasa and Savusavu for their education and most of them opt to drop out.” Also representing the school was Lusiana Vuki, a retired teacher and one of the founders of the school.
Ms Vuki said efforts had been made before to establish a high school with structures made from bamboo but the attempt had been unsuccessful.
“That is why this grant is so important; it enables students to attain better standards of education.”
