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.
