BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
FORMAL classes for Siota Provincial Secondary School were boycotted last Wednesday.
This is due to a tense situation regarding the Principal post for Central Islands Province (CIP) premier school.
According to CIP’s Education Authority (EA) school posts for 2022, Mr John Gomi is said to be the posted school Principal for Siota PSS. However, upon travelling to the school to take up his role for this year, he was faced with a situation having the Education Board appointee school Principal Fr Patterson Tako wanting to remain at the school.
Fr Patterson Tako with the involvement of so-called landowners, surrounding community members and certain members of the school body prefer that Fr Tako remains for the last five months of this year 2022 as Siota’s Principal.
This is because they reason that under Fr Tako’s leadership has seen the school doing academically well over the previous years, including his positive relationship towards the school administration and surrounding communities has been exceptional.
The circumstance resulting in a tense situation towards Mr John Gomi led to the boycotting of classes in which CIP’s Police had to intervene.
Posted Siota PSS Principal Mr Gomi in explanation during a meeting last week with CIP’s Provincial Police Commander (PPC) and his team, the school administration, students and surrounding community members explain that he is only following school postings.
“I was given the directive by the CIP Education Authority to follow the school posting and also have consultation with Fr Patterson Tako in which I have fulfilled what the authority had directed me to do.
“Though with the situation here, based on threat, boycotting and all these reasons given, the EA still does not accept such as I was posted to be the school Principal. So facing this hiccup, I now do not know how to handle or address this situation.
“Whatever the EA has advised me to come and do, it seems that Fr Tako, the landowners and everyone involved will not agree to follow it because they also have their own agenda. So it seems I do not have any way to do things as directed by the EA. Fr Tako and everyone behind him have their stand as I am also worried over my security. If Fr Tako is taken away from the school then I fear things will not be okay for me. I just want everyone to understand that I remain neutral, I do not have any issue or whatsoever to do with anyone.
“I just do not know what to do at this point of time, as the direction from the EA for me here does not follow their protocol,” said Gomi.
Education Board appointee Fr Patterson Tako in response to the issue explain that both Mr Gomi and him have already had a talk over the situation on which they want to achieve a win-win situation rather than causing any further problem.
“We want landowners, surrounding communities, school administration and students to be happy, as well as both Mr Gomi and me to be happy,” said Tako.
“So we created a common understanding for the good of the school. Mr Gomi has told me to take on leadership for the remaining five months reaching the end of this year as he is willing to work with me and also learn from me.
“This is how to relate with the community, contact with the community, how to connect with the students, that was what we passed. That is the result we have reached. But the EA does not accept this. Though the causing of the problem experienced, the education authority has not listened to the provincial government, Siota Board and the Education Board. This is why these things have come about.
“Siota PSS in history has been facing ups and downs. When I came to take the leadership here I have harmonized situations through public relationship and positive connections. That is what I want to train Mr Gomi with for the next five months so that he can connect with the community, people and students.
“He is a leader but it will take time to transfer this. It is that understanding that the EA does not accept. This is why there is a clash. Whatever that is true or not, after all these, I am willing to leave. But after if I will leave, whether Siota PSS will remain good or not depends on the people leading this place.”
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) for CIP Superintendent David Soakai having heard of the situation the school is going through on the other hand pointed during the meeting that the primary goal of education has failed to exist, and the issue should be addressed to the EA.
“As classes are boycotted, this is the biggest issue that we will trigger on this situation,” said Soakai.
“We cannot do anything that will disturb or affect these students. These children have to go for their education and take up their education in which they have rights to do so. With our differences we should never have any influence on the school administration operation on a daily basis. That is the paramount of ‘importance’ here.
“Whatever differences we have cannot mandate anyone to boycott the school operation on a daily basis. We are depriving the rights of our students for tomorrow’s future leaders.
“Putting back these challenges, to landowners and school administration, whatever differences you have, the primary rights of our students is of paramount importance here and need to be respected. Whatever difference there is, we all know, we have the authority to answer to and we are going to be accounted for by the authority employing us. There are guidelines in line as well as there are laws implemented there too that govern.
“Having a school boycotted is a big trigger. If there are influences by whoever and if an investigation is carried out, it will tell where this influence is coming from. So before we all get caught up in a big handful, sort it out, let the school run, do not stop the right of our children to attend classes and not get their education entitled to.
“What I will only ask here from the School and administration, go back to the authority of the province and sort this issue out. The school administrative here is to go back to the CIP education authority to urgently sort this out. Because if we try to pull landowners into this issue and to put it in our favour, at the end of the day, we are going to trigger something big that will involve police having to intervene and do arrests.
“There are papers documented for the school to be operated. And everyone will be answered for. So before everyone will be caught up in a big mess, may I only say this, go back to the authority where the employment comes from and sort out this big issue.
“This issue is only for the CIP Education Board, EA and school Administration to sort out. Let us not involve the education rights of our children and future leaders of this school. I will be very happy whenever the directive will come for me to come and enter Siota PSS for its security purposes. I will do it, I will come for you. But let us make this not happen. Sort out your grievances and go back to the authority and come up with a solution. The education of our future leaders is the primary goal. That is the message here because the police will not step in to any other areas of concern on this issue.
“What the landowners have stated as well in favour of Fr Tako, they have their point, but such is not to be raised here. It is at the EA Office at Tulaghi or the mother ministry that we need to raise this issue at, there is the chain of command for this issue to be sorted out. It is that simple.
“When we try to influence other parties coming in to the school administrative role, there, we will start to put in fear, seeing no unity. So I ask our good community here, let us refrain from the school administrative role, let them sort out their differences for this week, return to their ministry, the education authority and the board are to sort out this issue . Let us all stay back and see the outcomes.
“For all of us to come in and start directly being involved in creating an atmosphere of fear to our students and Staff is totally wrong here. The school and students have to be under an environment where the school operates in a free and safe environment.
“What we have come and noted will be taken back and presented to the EA and also to the provincial government. Hope that you all come up with some solutions over this issue.”
PPC Soakai lastly reminded that the main important thing is for the school classes to not be boycotted.
“There cannot be any sitting protest or whatever. The future of our students has to be acknowledged,” said Soakai.
In inquiring to Andrew Kaipua the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of CIP if whether they are aware of the situation and that if they are already addressing it, he confirmed that they have already looked into the issue.
“Actually that is our case, I have already consulted the Provincial Secretary [PS] and the PPC to intervene on the matter, it was only a one day boycott of classes since the students were confused on what was going on during that time, but the issue has already been addressed and looked into,” said Kaipua.
It is understood that formal classes at Siota Provincial Secondary School (PSS) is currently back to normal.
