Students reconcile with staff after protest

By ZACHERY PER
STUDENTS and staff of Bena Bena Secondary School in Unggai-Bena, Eastern Highlands, recently held a reconciliation ceremony putting aside differences to create a conducive learning environment.
Principal Edward Wirin appreciated the gesture by the students representative council for initiating the reconciliation after a misunderstanding the students had when the school imposed strict disciplinary measures to end disruptive and unauthorised activities including the use of mobile phones.
He said the school administration banned mobile phones to discourage students from accessing illegal information such as pornographic material.
Wirin said the student body went on strike in response to the ban and petitioned the administration.
Fortunately, Eastern Highlands provincial secondary school coordinator Maxie Lahone intervened advising students to reconcile.
He said this was a mature step to end the strike and maintain normalcy in the school.
Wirin thanked students’ representative head boy Junior Norambo and head girl Jamie Morofa for organising students who brought live chickens, fresh meat and garden food to apologise for their action.
Norambo and Morofa spoke on behalf of the student body expressing their remorse and assuring the school administration and staff that they would not take such action again.
School board chairman Jerika Haki thanked the students for their initiative to reconcile with the school’s administration.