ADVICE ON SECURITY MEASURES TO ALL PARENTS, TEACHERS, SCHOOL LEADERS AND EDUCATION PROVIDERS IN HONIARA, GUADALCANAL AND ALL PROVINCES

The Senior Management of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has learned of disturbing incidents of students who were attached by masked men, while walking to their schools or walking home after school in the past two days.

The men were travelling in a car with no number plates. On Thursday 17 October, a female student from a senior secondary school who was walking from her school was attacked by masked men who was in a moving car, and she sustained cuts, scratches on her arms and body – her blouse was also reported to have been torn, while trying to free herself from the attacker.

The MEHRD strongly condemns reckless and senseless attack or threat to innocent students and call on school leaders, teachers, and the community to step up security in their school surroundings.

Parents and guardians are advised to drop off their children to school and to pick them up after school and to ensure the children are safe.

Until the matter is investigated by the Police and those who are responsible are reprimanded, the Ministry’s intent is to alert heightened security at the schools in an effort to ward off any would-be acts of criminal nature.

This urgent advice is issued to ramp up security at the schools following what appeared to be attacks or threatening act in the vicinity of schools or along the road, were students were walking to school or returning home.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development is issuing the following advice to parents, teacher, school leaders, education providers and the school community.

1. School Leaders and Education providers are strongly advised to step up security measures for our children’s safety particularly during drop off and pick up after school.
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2. Discourage students to travel by themselves, they must go in groups when going to school in the morning and returning home after school in the afternoon.
3. Increase visibility during the morning drop off and after school at the school vicinity.
4. Schools who have vehicles are encouraged to drop students at their nearby bus stop or close to their homes.
5. Parents who have vehicles – please drop and pick up your children at the school.
6. Advise our students not to follow strangers to pick them after school.
7. If any outsider wishes to see a student in school, she or he must see the Principal of the school and consent should be granted if the student identifies the person.
8. A strong communication must be maintained between the school leaders, teachers, and parents on security matters that concern students and should there be any incident happening at your school.
9. Any incidents must call the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force 39608/21363/23601 or 999.

– Permanent Secretary –MEHRD