Two major schools in Port Vila are currently facing serious overcrowding in their classrooms, with student numbers well beyond the national classroom policy guideline.

At Freswota Bilingual School, principal Joses Seth confirmed that some classrooms now hold between 40 to 60 students each, well above the Ministry of Education’s recommended ratio of 25 to 30 students per teacher. Mr. Seth explained that the increase is partly due to the school’s inclusion of Year 9 students this year, as well as its dual-language program catering to both French and English stream students.

“In fact, we have exceeded the ratio outlined in the policy guidelines from the ministry. Due to high enrolment, some of our classes now have over 50, and even up to 60 students,” he said. “We now place two teachers in each class to better support student learning.”

Freswota Bilingual School now has over 2,000 students enrolled.

Malapoa College is also under pressure. Acting Principal Augustin Tabi says the school has been forced to convert old dormitories, staff rooms, and even teacher computer labs into makeshift classrooms to accommodate the growing number of students.

“We didn’t use tents because of the heat,” Mr. Tabi said. “Instead, we’ve turned existing infrastructure, including ablution blocks meant for day students, into classroom space.”

VBTC News reached out to the Ministry of Education for comment, but no official response has been provided as of publishing. However, VBTC understands that the Training and Curriculum Department maintains a classroom standard of 25 to 30 students per teacher.

With enrolment numbers rising and resources stretched, school principals are urging for quicker support and more infrastructure investment to ensure that quality education is not compromised.