Army punishes students

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A SCHOOL deputy principal has confirmed that he asked soldiers to discipline a group of students caught misbehaving after the completion of their national examination papers.
Banaba Gabi, the deputy principal of Morehead High School in Western, said the school disciplinary committee had asked the soldiers to punish the students who were reportedly involved in improper activities after their exams.
Gabi and committee chairman George Sapa wrote to the Defence Force headquarters in Port Moresby to confirm that the school had asked the soldiers to assist.
The soldiers, who were on patrol along the southern part of the border with Indonesia, ordered the students to do push-ups and other light punishment.
The students also received counselling. The incident happened on Nov 6.
“We are happy for the assistance provided by the soldiers at the Weam border station,” Gabi said.
Morehead station manager Maninanzang Gantau said the soldiers punished the students who went after their teachers who suspended three female students.
“The female students were suspended for (allegedly) smoking marijuana and drinking homebrew with male students after completing their national examinations last week,” Gantau said.
Gantau said the parents of the students had also requested the soldiers to punish them.
Some took their children to the police station to be locked up in the cells. The students are also being punished by being made to cut the grass and clean the station, Gantau said.