Students given second chance

National, Normal

A MAGISTRATE has expressed concern that students nowadays were preoccupied with drugs and alcohol and paying less attention to education.
Lihir District Court Magistrate Bruce Tasikul told seven students caught with consuming drugs and beer in Namatanai that he would give them a second chance to complete their education.
The students are from the Namatanai Secondary School in New Ireland.
The school is now being tasked to closely monitor the students who are not allowed to leave the school premises unless approval is given by the school authority.
Six of them – Mark Markus, Olan Ronga, Allan Tovue, Abraham Kalai, Fidelis Balasam and Nasson Salot – who are in Grade 12 were found guilty of consuming alcohol in a public place and were sentenced each to one month imprisonment.
The sentence was, however, suspended on the condition that they were all placed on a good behavior bond for a period of twelve months. In that period, they are to stay out of trouble.
The seventh, a Grade 10 student identified as MacKay Wafi was found guilty of possessing 12 packets of marijuana and fined K200 and given 14 days to pay this fine.                                                           
Magistrate Tasikul, who is currently on circuit in Namatanai, when sentencing the offenders, said students throughout the country seemed to no longer put their education as a priority.
“We hear students fighting amongst themselves and with students from other schools. What has gone wrong with today’s youth?”