The Education Ministry has today confirmed that the Principal of Ratu Kadavulevu School, Arvind Prasad will be relocated after a request made by him to the Ministry while the students who incited the protest that disrupted classes will be suspended.

The ministry confirms that students of RKS will resume classes from Tuesday 8th September while full investigations into the recent disruption of classes for more than 700 students continue.

Two important issues are being addressed by the Ministry, one is the allegation against the Principal, and the other is the breach of the ministry's Behaviour Management Policy by students.

The investigation against Prasad continues while a school is being identified for him.

The ministry says it has carried out an initial assessment based on which the students who were involved in inciting the protests will be suspended.

They will be provided with counselling and academic support during this period.

The ministry also says there is alleged involvement of staff in inciting the students and these teachers will be investigated.

Acting Director Secondary, Iosefo Masivue will oversee the investigations and school operations until a new Principal is appointed.

An expression of interest will be put out by the ministry as part of a merit-based process to select the best candidate.

The ministry reiterates that grievances must be addressed using the proper channel and not through methods which disrupt classes.

It also cautions students to refrain from such behaviour and not to be led astray by unscrupulous elements as there are consequences as per the Student Behaviour Management Policy.

The ministry also wishes to remind teachers to refrain from such activities and heads of schools to be more sensitive towards the needs of the students.

RKS Old Boys Association supports the Ministry’s decision to relocate Principal but does not support the decision to suspend the students

The RKS Old Boys Association supports the Ministry of Education’s decision to relocate the RKS Principal but does not support the decision to suspend the students that were involved in the protest.

This has been highlighted by the Association President Alivereti Yaya who says that these students were forced to do what they did because of the issues they were facing under the leadership of the Principal.

Yaya says they will now be asking the Ministry for the Association to help in the counselling of the students.

He says the Principal was always involving police in all the matters of the school and they feel some of the issues can be dealt with internally and this is where the Old Boys Association can help.

Yaya says this will also take away the tag of being a criminal for some of the students.

The RKS Student Council has claimed that the Principal has made a lot of changes within the school system like abolishing the tradition and culture of what RKS is known for.

In the letter that was delivered to the Ministry of Education, the Student Council claims that some of the changes that the Principal made includes the removal of the RKS prominent competition known as the Sovanivalu, not allowing the school chaplain to enter the school premises, the replacement of their meke practice every Wednesday by a dorm level meeting.

The Sovanivalu is the house competition for most disciplined, best cleanliness and academic of the year.

The Student Council also claimed that the Principal had told them that by the end of the year, the school roll should be 500 and that is why some students were suspended.

They claim that their Principal has never had an assembly and that is why students who were playing rugby were suspended because it was not addressed in the assembly. The RKS Student Council claims that they have many food shortage complaints and when they had informed the Assistant Principal, he said that the Principal is looking into it.

They have also questioned in their letter if the Principal is also teaching any class as he has not been teaching as every teacher is being employed to teach.

They claim that the flag-raising ceremony that was done over the years has been removed and it has been done anyhow now. The council further claims that the Principal’s son has been told many times from the teachers to cut his hair but they claim he does not want to listen.

There are other claims that the Principal leaves his dog untied and it has allegedly bitten the Deputy Head Boy.

There are also claims that the Head Boy’s quarters has now been changed to the school security guard house and they are also saying that it is a sign of disrespect when the Principal is crossing the main ground in the car when no one is allowed to cross the ground without special reasons.

The council says RKS is just the same as living in a village and it has it’s by-laws which everyone must follow.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Education Rosy Akbar says the team that is conducting the investigations regarding the protest and allegations against the Principal met with parents of some of the students who were believed to have been in leading positions of the incident.

Akbar says she has also received an email from the RKS Parents, Teachers and Friends Association asking to meet with the Permanent Secretary and she hopes that their side will be heard as well.