What are some of the consequences of changing the dates of school holidays suddenly?
Boarding school students somehow have had to find fares to go home earlier than planned.
Parents have to make sure the children are supervised in the next two weeks and perhaps change their own holiday plans.
The schools that provide accommodation and hospitality for the Methodist Choir Competition have to make different arrangments.
The Hibiscus Festival dates cannot be brought back to provide entertainment for families. (Well, there will be less money spent I guess.)
The South Pacific Games in Samoa is scheduled to co-incide with school holidays in Pacific Island nations and many of Fiji's athletes are young and of school age and now they will go away and miss school.
Some of the problems have been pointed out by the Methodist Church but so far the answer is no change to the altered dates.
State rejects church's request
1644 FJT Fiji TimesMonday, August 06, 2007
Update: 4.44pm THE Methodist Church of Fiji plans to seek an audience with the interim Prime Minister on the Education Ministry's revised term two holidays. Church General Secretary, Reverend Ame Tugaue, said the ministry's plans will affect the church's annual choir competition, which is usually scheduled for the start of the second term holidays in mid-August.
During the week-long competition, participants are billeted in schools around Suva.
Last week, the church had requested that 10 schools in the capital remain open this week so students can continue classes and take their holidays next week, freeing up the schools to accomodate choirs.
This was rejected today after the ministry initially gave its approval last week.
Reverend Tugaue said, based on last week's approval, the church made radio announcements during the weekend that the festival would still go ahead on the planned dates.However, today they were informed that all schools will be closed from 6th to 17th August. The choir competition had been planned for 18 August.
What a mess. What happens when we lose sight of the interconnectedness of all things in pursuit of a specific goal - in this case an attempt to break a strike.
ReplyDeleteYes, many programs are scheduled to fit in with school term breaks. Even in Labasa the Methodist Conference in Macuata starting on 27th I think, is dependent upon using several schools to accommodate delegates - e.g. Labasa College and hostel, St Mary's school, etc.
ReplyDeletew.
is the conference in Macuata as scheduled on the 27th of August?
ReplyDeleteReading from the Fiji papers, it seems that they can't change the time but they have to reschedule where the delegates will be hosted as the schools will be full of children. I heard the choirs will sing at Centenary in the daytime (so who will buy from the stalls at Furnival Park in the daytime) and at Furnival Park in the late afternoon. The week in Macuata is on track except they can't use Labasa college and St Mary's for hosting, but there are still many villages to host people.
ReplyDeletePeceli is in Labasa and he will be up to date with news. He visited the Methodist office in Suva a few days ago.
I don't think he's got the internet where he's staying, but he can go to an internet cafe in Labasa.
w.