Hutjena Secondary High School classes will remain suspended until the severity of destruction to properties is established and determined.
An intoxicated student of the high school attacked an on-duty teacher over a missing phone, which further escalated to a destructive rampage by other students.
The suspension of classes follows a destructive rampage by intoxicated students who attacked an on-duty teacher over a missing phone
ABG Education Secretary Dorothy Kenneth said the school is investigating the incident and will put together a situational report, which will be submitted to the department, which will eventually decide the duration of the suspension. Classes have been suspended since Tuesday.
The education department can only impose shorter terms of class suspensions, while the Bougainville Education Board (BEB) can determine a longer suspension period.
Secretary Kenneth has directed that the school take charge of the situation and deal with it under established disciplinary processes.
She added, Hutjena Secondary suffered a lot in the first half of the academic year. First, a fire to its science laboratory attacks on the teaching staff by students and outsiders and now further attacks and destruction of infrastructure and other properties.
Kenneth said, the trend of increasing disciplinary issues in schools is concerning and that the authorities must see that school rules are enforced to address these actions.
She further urged that a standardised disciplinary policy needs to be consistently enforced and monitored.
She also called on the Bougainville education board and the teaching service commission to install school councillors who can help deal with issues affecting students and ensure discipline.
“The situation that happened shows what is happening in many of our schools, not just in Bougainville but throughout the country, where discipline is disintegrating, values are no longer there.”
“The school administration was advised to take responsibility, call on the school board of governors, get all the statements, deal with the students through the normal disciplinary process and if there is a need to elevate it to the education department and the BEB, they will need to provide a full report to the department can assist the school or intervene.”
“But looking at the general situation, this is a situation that more than reaches the eye. It is a result of the kind of upbringing the children have in their homes and in society.”