schools

All primary and secondary school principals and teachers have been advised to be in their respective schools by today, 23 January to resume duty.

Term One will commence on 6 February and end on 5 May.

The second term begins on 22 May 22 to 18 August and the final term starts on 4 September to 1 December 2023.

The duration for all terms is 13 weeks.

Photo supplied  file  Caption: Vila East School

Children aged 5 to 12 have been at home since April last year while Year 12 and 13 students returned to classes in November.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said the coronavirus is now endemic to Fiji and community transmission will lead to the same in schools.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) said Term I will begin from 7 February and end on 6 May.

The second term will begin on 23 May and run until 19 August.

Term 3 is scheduled from 5 September to 2 December.

The duration of all terms is 13 weeks.

The first two weeks school break is scheduled for 9 May to 20 May 20 while the second term holiday is from 22 August to 2 September.

All principals of primary and secondary schools and teachers have been instructed to resume duty by 10 January and should be in their respective schools by 24 January.

The Ministry of Education said Chinese President Xi Jinping's "thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era" would be taught from primary school level all the way to university.

The move is aimed at strengthening "resolve to listen to and follow the Party" and new teaching materials must "cultivate patriotic feelings", the guidelines said.

Since coming to power in 2012, the Chinese President has sought to strengthen the ruling Chinese Communist Party's role in all areas of society, including its businesses, schools and cultural institutions.

The event is part of a nine day celebration marking Vanuatu's 40th independence anniversary.

However the occasion was bittersweet in some ways.

UNICEF's Communications Officer, Rebecca Olul, said while Children's Day in the south would be festival-like, it would be different in the north.

Olul said the dual crises of April's Cyclone Harold and the Covid-19 pandemic had turned children's lives upside down.

In the cyclone-ravaged north, a third of the country's lives were put on hold including 24,000 children who had been out of school since April.

Folem Oda namba 77 blong 2020 we Minista blong Klaemet Jenj hem i bin saenem long namba 22 Mei 2020 blong ripatriesen blong ol sitisen mo non-sitisen blong Vanuatu blong oli kam bak long kaontri stat long Wednesdei 27 Mei 2020, mo stetmen blong Honorobol Praem Minista we hemi konfem se Vanuatu hemi wan COVID-19 FRI kaontri , Ministri blong Edukesen mo Trening hemi wandem talemaot long everi prinsipol, tija, staf, skul komunit i, peren mo ol student se bae everi skul raon long kaontri bae oli kontiniu watem nomol operesen blong skul. Hem ia hemi inkludim olgeta skuls long Port Vila.

The Solomon Star reported the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, Franco Rodie issued the directive, as part of the country's Covid-19 response strategy.

Dr Rodie said the mass repatriation of people from the capital to their home provinces following the declaration of a State of Public Emergency last week was causing anxiety and confusion for schools and education authorities.

Because of this Dr Rodie ordered all schools to close with a tentative return date set for the 27th of April.

“This date is not for students to start getting to schools. Instead it should be time for orientation, induction, awareness and to get students into classrooms and to begin to have the first lessons,” Obed said.

He has also encouraged parents and guardians to prepare their children and get them to travel to schools.

Obed added that schools must prepare for disasters which may occur this year.

In December a two month old child from New Zealand was admitted to LBJ Hospital with symptoms of the disease.

The Department of Health is driving a campaign to promote immunisation after recent cases were recorded in the Northland region of New Zealand

Medical Director Joseph Tufa said parents should make sure their children are protected from the potentially deadly disease.

The department has asked parents to provide proof that their children have received the meningococcal vaccine and booster shot.

The amateur detective program was designed by teachers at Penrith Valley School, a facility for children with behavioural problems or complex emotional needs who have struggled with mainstream learning.

"A lot of them have had a lot of poor experiences in the classroom so they've got an expectation of failure that they're bringing in," principal Nic Danta said.

"And so the first stage is just to re-build that trust and connect them with education."