Form three student Kalesi Gasau of Raviravi village in Beqa is happy about her new school as now she and 14 other Form Three students do not have to travel all the way to Suva to attend school.

This is after the Education Permanent Secretary opened Beqa Yanuca Secondary School under the Educationally Disadvantaged Area program, whereby a $30,000 capital grant was given for the renovation of a school building to house the new intake at the school.

The Ministry is looking forward to building a four classroom block, a science laboratory, abulition block and a library to complete its assistance for the school.

Permanent Secretary Filipe Jitoko said one of the advantages of bringing education closer to home is that students are very much in regular contact with their parents, and will reduce the dropout rate at these areas since most parents cannot afford to send their children for higher education because of the costs involved in transportation, and school levies.

Beqa Yanuca Secondary School is the second school to be opened this year which falls under an Educationally Disadvantaged Area.