DEAR EDITOR – John Aonima, whilst your discussions of the disconnected water of White River Community High School (WRCHS) appears to be your main agenda, undergird that in my view is your personal vendetta to discredit and displaced Simon Tepuke, the dully appointed deputy principal of WRCH from his post.
How do I know that the hidden motive of your discussion is not the WRCHS water disconnection but to discredit Simon Tepuke, the Deputy Principal; but by your dictions and descriptions of him.
For instance, refresh your mind with your statement quoted from your recent posting in the Solomon Star issue No.5517; In your first paragraph you’ve said these, “I wish to take the opportunity to thank the MEHDR for stepping in to solve the problem” [WRCS water disconnection and the ablution block]; and in your last paragraph you’ve said these “The water is still disconnected and the defensive dictator deputy principal must ensure that water is connected to the new toilet facilities”; a task that I request you as a self claimed concerned parents of WRCHS to go and do it on voluntarily basis if you truly care about the welfare of the school.
Linking the subjects of your first paragraph and your last, they are totally unrelated; that I am surprised at how you connect the two subjects as a learnt and rationale being.
Another example of your real motive for writing can be read from the second paragraph of your assume farewell article. In this paragraph, you’ve said these, “the engagement of a contractor now to renovate the ablution block is indeed a big relief to the school which hardly fixed it for over two years now”.
In this paragraph you’ve admitted that the water problem and the ablution block problem have been in the school before Simon was appointed to replace your wantok (assume); as Simon was only transferred from Koloale CHS to WRCHS, by the retired Honiara City Council chief education officer, Don Houkura, this year (2014); so where did you rationally fit in Simon as the instigator of the water problem and the ablution block problem of WRCHS?
John Aonima, you need to be honest if you truly a parent of WRCHS that early this year Simon Tepuke and some of the students and a few others from White River community, excluding you who claimed to have your pillow next to the school, built new desks and tables, repaint the classrooms, and generally repaired the buildings, which saved money for the school; yet you failed miserably to acknowledge that and give credit to Simon and those that assisted him.
Regarding the water problem, Simon Tepuke, representing the school administration gave $80,000 to the school chair to deposit it to SIWA whilst he waits for the principal (who was yet to arrive from home at that time) to negotiate further the problem with other stakeholders of the school to settle the school water bill; a move that the management of SIWA turned it down; so would you still blame the water problem to Simon?
I understand that there is a bunch of teachers that signed a petition to remove Simon Tepuke as the deputy principal of the school that I hope you must not had your hand in it.
These disgruntled teachers were not happy because Simon as a straight shooter and a straightforward administrator continuously reminding them to do their work; an approach that his predecessor, the head of the disciplinary committee in a school setting, didn’t have the gut to do it because himself plays the same game of absenteeism from classes; although sitting in the staff room pretending to be busy.
Let me remind you Aonima and others who signed the petition that as an offspring of those who started White River community in the 50s, and White River School in the 60s, and a student of the school in the 70s, I take off my hut for Simon Tepuke for boldly taking the stand to remind the lazy and sluggard teachers to be proactive and to do their duties of teaching our children (I have six of my immediate family members that currently attending the school: primary and secondary).
As a teacher myself, I would do the same as Simon Tepuke, if I’m posted to WRCHS as the deputy principal; so just get use to that kind of leadership if you want the school to retain its glorious days in the 70s and the 80s, which one of the headmasters and his deputy, like Simon Tepuke’s style of administration, shaped one like me who was strong headed and stubborn back then to be who I am today.
Furthermore, those who wanted Simon Tepuke to move out from WRCHS must understand that White River Community is made up of different ethnic groups that learnt the hard way to accept and respect each other; so you must be sensitive to those ethnic differences to allow one like Simon Tepuke that shows interest and commitment to serve WRCHS and the community to stay.
Unless and until Simon Tepuke chooses to leave WRCHS at his own accord, or being replaced by the CEO of HCC, those of you who petition him to leave must firstly packed up and leave the school to avoid any ethnic clashes that might jeopardise the school and our community.
But if don’t, just accept the staffing appointment of WRCHS made by the former CEO and endorsed by his successor, including the current administration, and work together for the good of our school children and our community, White River.
As I close, may I request the WRCHS school board to hold a PTA meeting so that some of the problems that the school encountered can be addressed professionally and amicably?
Richie Tepuke Pautangata
White River Community
