Malapoa College has sustained significant damage to its facilities, including the 1.2 billion Vatu Chinese-funded building, following the recent earthquake.
Staff members at the college reported that the extensive damage has made it difficult to accommodate boarding students, and this year’s intake will likely be reduced. The number of students per class will also be limited due to a shortage of available space.
John Gideon, Administrative Director of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), confirmed that around 45 schools on Efate Island have sustained substantial damage, with Malapoa College being one of the three schools requiring additional structural engineers for further assistance.
Gideon also stated that repairs to Malapoa College alone would cost over 600 million Vatu, while demolishing and rebuilding the school, based on reports from structural engineers, would amount to more than 2.4 billion Vatu. Repair costs for other affected schools on Efate total over 1.8 billion Vatu.
In addition to the damage to the dormitories, the earthquake also severely impacted the school’s newly constructed building, which was meant to house classrooms. As a result, all classes will be moved to the older building on campus.
Staff members have informed VBTC that while repairs are a priority, they will not be completed in time for the start of the academic year. The school is still awaiting final-year student results from the Ministry of Education, which are necessary to finalize the registration process.
Gideon emphasized that schools will resume on February 3, 2025, with the first three months focused on recovery and ongoing repairs in various parts of the school.
An attempt to contact the school’s principal for further details was unsuccessful.
Mark Stafford, Vice Chairman of the Malapoa College board, added that the school council will meet this weekend to discuss the next steps.