MARIST BROTHERS' HIGH SCHOOL,
Carew Street, Suva, Fiji Islands

Musical Instruments for the School

Marist Brothers High School was established in 1937 and was to become the first multiracial secondary school in Fiji. This was a bold step taken by the Marist Brothers to deviate from the norm of providing segregated education to the different racial groups at that time and to introduce an integrated system of education, a system now widely practised in schools in Fiji.

The school offers secondary education to boys between the ages of 14 and 20 in Year 9 to Year 12 and Year 13 as a foundation and preparatory studies for tertiary education. There is also a Sports Academy offering a two-year course towards a Diploma in Sports Science and Recreational Activities.

Today, the school has a total roll of 777 with 53 staff members. The curriculum is divided into two main areas of study – The Examinable Subjects and the Core Subjects. These Core subjects do not contribute to the final examination result, but schools must provide ample evidence of these subjects being taught before they are allowed to present candidates for each of the three national examinations.

The bulk of the school’s limited finance is utilized in getting the resources needed for the Examinables and Religious Education because of the significant place they have in the school. The teaching of the other three Cores is somewhat handicapped because of the lack of resources and the desired impact that these could contribute towards the holistic development of the students has been often impaired.

What is NEEDED….

The teaching of Music in the school is limited to just “singing”, learning of new songs and hymns. Given the fact that there is much talent available in this area, the inability to provide the resources needed has always been seen as a great obstacle. The school proposes therefore, that consideration is given to their short and long term plans to strengthen this area of endeavour. In the short term, the school requires guitars in order for students to learn to play the instruments and to be used as accompaniment to the songs they sing.

What you can DO…..

$300 would buy an adequate guitar for the school. If the school were to start off with three of these instruments, it would be a beginning to the long term plan for the school, which is the eventual provision of a full set of band instruments, and the necessary sound system. The acquisition is seen as significant in terms of the actual learning of the instruments for future employment possibilities in the entertainment industry. Secondly, a school band could be utilized to actually contribute to the payment of school fees for needy students through the income generated from the hiring of the band for social activities in the wider community.

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