New classrooms for schools in Matahau and Fahefa [1]
Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - 18:09
Students at GPS Matahau and GPS Fahefa celebrated their new classrooms at commissioning events last Friday, 18 September.
The classrooms were constructed after they were damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita which hit Tonga in February 2018.
The new building in GPS Matahau cost $843,504 pa’anga to build. Three classrooms can accommodate around 75-90 students.
The new building in GPS Fahefa cost $520,600 pa’anga and has two classrooms to accommodate 50-60 students.
The construction works are under the Pacific Resilience Program (PREP) led by MEIDECC and co-funded by the World Bank and the Australian Government.
PREP includes the repair and reconstruction of school buildings that were damaged by TC Gita. There are 25 schools in the project, to construct 33 new buildings and repair 0.
Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Adrian Morrison said the Government of Australia was pleased to support the project.
“These new classrooms will be much more conducive for effective learning, and their constructions create and boost local economic activities, employment, and again it is particularly valuable as the world suffers the economic effects of COVID-19.”
The design and supervision of the construction was done by Cardno, an Australian Company, and constructed by local contractor, Puloka Construction.