Cops: Student started fight

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

POLICE say a fight which broke out between two groups at the National Polytechnical Institute in Lae last Saturday was started by a student.

Police said the fight erupted between outsiders and family members of the school’s teaching staff after a student was assaulted by a teacher’s family member.

Lae police operations commander Insp Fred Kaiwa said it was fortunate that no major damage was done to properties and no one was seriously injured.

He said the student was allegedly drunk and was hurling abuse at others. 

After he was confronted by the staff and family members, he went to bring his friends.

“We have let the school management identify the people involved and hand them over to police,” Kaiwa said. 

The 2,000-plus students and their leaders gathered yesterday at the Eriku campus and decided to present a petition to the school administration.

The school’s Student Representative Council president Jeremiah Jerrifia told The National that the situation was still tense.

They would present the petition tomorrow.

The school’s director Graham Bidang said he was aware of the issue which he discussed with the student leaders yesterday.

“I have yet to get a direction from my superiors regarding the matter,” Bidang said.

He has instructed students to collect statements from individuals affected so that a report could be compiled.

He said the school has a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol on campus.