Lae schools resume classes

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

CLASSES at two secondary schools in Lae, Morobe, resumed yesterday after being suspended for two weeks following a fight between their students.

Students from Bugandi and Lae secondary schools returned to classes after police assured their principals that all security measures would be taken to protect the students.  

Morobe provincial education adviser Murika Bihoro yesterday confirmed that students had resumed classes following the assurance from police. 

“We had a meeting with police last week and they said they will monitor the situation. I will also issue instructions to the principals of the two schools to see to it that no more school fights happen again,” Bihoro said.

Last month, a group of male students from Bugandi Secondary  School staged a protest march in Eriku alleging that a group of students from the Lae Secondary had assaulted some of their colleagues. 

During the protest a fight broke out and one male student of Sepik origin was killed and another from Morobe was hospitalised.

Bihoro said he was concerned about reports he was receiving about outsiders wearing school uniforms and attacking genuine students.

“Any student who wishes to create further problems outside of the school will be (treated as) a criminal matter and police will deal with it,” he said.

Lae police operations commander Insp Fred Kaiwa said the situation was under control and his men were monitoring and patrolling the city.

“All students must go back to school. Some students are too scared to go back to school because others are saying all sorts of frightening things to them,” he said.

Kaiwa said no arrests had been made in connection with the death and the fighting. 

He said detectives were working on the case and appealed for anyone with information to help the investigation.