26 Apr 2007

Education teams to assess damage to schools in tsunami disaster zone Solomon Islands

2:20 pm on 26 April 2007

The Solomon Islands Ministry of Education is sending 35 experts to the tsunami affected areas of Western Province and Choiseul.

The seven teams of five officers have gathered in Gizo from where they will be despatched to the various regions in order to carry out assessment surveys on schools there.

All schools in the the provinces have been closed since the tsunami struck on April 2nd, with some having been completely destroyed.

The leader of the Education Assessment Team, Harry Luahiti says officials will have various objectives once they reach their destinations.

"We are now trying to assess the kind of damage that has been inflicted on schools and on communities; we are looking at assessing the schools that can be recovered in a short time; we also need to assess the kind of damage - some schools were completely washed away; we are looking at the recovery process and how it will cost and our implementation strategies."

The leader of the Education Assessment Team, Harry Luahiti.