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By ANDREW ALPHONSE
THE safety of staff and students is a great concern if the troubled Tari
Secondary school in the Southern Highlands is to reopen.
Catholic Bishop of Mendi Stephen Reichert said this in a letter dated
Sept 3 to the provincial education adviser Robert Rami.
In the letter copied to Governor Anderson Agiru, other SHP MPs, Tari
mayor George Tagobe, police, parents and the general public, Bishop
Reichert said there was a complete breakdown of discipline, control and
security during the recent “student strike” at the school.
Bishop Reichert said the threat of violence was real and the possibility
of people being injured a great concern.
He said most security guards employed by the school, local reserve
police, as well as regular police and mobile squad personnel based in
Tari were at the scene during the crisis but were unable to effectively
deal with the situation.
“Therefore, it was necessary to evacuate non-striking students, as well
as some staff, and shut down the institution,” Bishop Reichert said.
“Now there is great pressure from leaders and many members of the
community to reopen the school quickly so that students can sit for
national examinations.”
Bishop Reichert said this message must be clearly understood throughout
the province, adding that it is up to
the PEB to say who will guarantee and provide security at the school and
who will be held responsible should there be another event like the one
just witnessed at Tari Secondary where people injured.
While parents have threatened to take legal actions over the issue,
Bishop Reichert said a clear response was needed from the authorities
regarding the safety of the staff and students at school.
He added that what annoyed the teachers most was that the four renegade
student leaders had not being arrested and charged by police.
 
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