Student Learning Specialist Jiupili Simmons offered free community tutorials teaching English to Year 9 – 13 students at Namalata, Kubulau, and Bua. This was conducted over three days during the Prophet Mohammed’s weekend. There were a total of six sessions of 2hours and it was conducted in the village hall. For each session there were twenty two or twenty five student’s present and are attending secondary schools in Labasa, Bua, and Savusavu while some were from Suva schools who have been in the village since the 2nd wave of Covid19 begun. Students came from six villages in the Kubulau district to be refreshed, enlightened and assisted with understanding career pathways, USP studies and how to better develop their study skills. Parents were also hosted to a session with the SLS to be informed of how best they can support and supplement learning of their children as they try to cope with learning using their home study packages given by their different schools.
This opportunity is centered around the idea of “solesolevaki” for education in Kubulau to impact children, arouse interest for studying, share information about career pathways, study programmes, encourage both parents and students of the unlimited opportunities that education can provide and how USP ICT and learning infrastructure allows opportunities for higher learning right at their doorsteps from Kubulau or here in Vanualevu. It also enhanced community bonds, and was timely in preparing students in Year 12 and Year 13 students to return to the classroom on 1 November 2021 and also as Kubulau is one of the areas that USP Savusavu center caters for higher learning it was befitting to do community work in the area.
Mrs. Simmons, mentioned that her role that weekend was to unpack techniques, strategies, and make awareness of study skills, expectations of exam attempts for English in Year 9 – 13. “The teachers are teaching, and will teach the content I, used the sessions to expose study skills, and develop good study practices, which will develop independent learning – a skill they will need at USP during higher learning. She appreciates all the support rendered by the parents, the Matanitikina Kubulau and the vanua for a fulfilling three day weekend to give back to the community.
USP Labasa campus will continue to map out strategies, create opportunities to work in partnership with communities around Vanualevu and equip, empower its people. In doing so it fulfills its community obligatory and helps change narratives for the people that it is entrusted with for higher education here in Vanualevu, the people of Bua, Cakaudrove and Macuata.
