PARENTS of Honiara Integrated Primary School (HIPS) are planning to stage a peaceful protest to the Honiara City Council (HCC) Mayor Andrew Mua and his administration.
This is part of a number of resolutions and way forward to resolve the ongoing saga with Mayor Mua over the decision to relocate the school.
The resolutions were reached after a meeting held on Sunday at the school between the school Board, teachers, parents and the HCC Education Authority Chief Education Officer.
Speaking to the paper School Board Chairman John Hou said the meeting was purposely to come up with resolutions and to form a task-force to carry out the resolution.
“One of the resolutions will be to look at organising a peaceful protest to HCC administration especially the Mayor calling on him to comply with the resolutions that have been set to relocate the school in 2020.
“We see the Mayor’s decision as one man decision because the idea to relocate has been set for 2020. and just now he ordered us to reallocate the school.
“We are not satisfied because this school is operating under the Council and to hear from them just telling us to leave now is not right and not in our interests,” he added.
The chairman described Mayor’s decision as unfair because more than 1,300 students will fall victim of his decision.
“We also disagree because we don’t want to transfer our kids to other schools during this period as it will affect their learning,” Mr Hou said.
He added other areas of concern are they have a majority of students coming from low and high working class groups as well as kids from every provinces attend to the school.
“Thus the task-force comprises of 9 representatives from the nine provinces including the Member of Parliament for West Makira, Derick Manuari,” he said.
He said the task-force has its first discussion after the meeting which will first look at a possible avenue to allow for the peaceful protest.
Earlier on, parents of the school accused HCC for such decision knowing very well that the school is operated under HCC.
“Since the school is operated under the HCC, they should provide an alternative site if they want to relocate the school,” they said.
Last week the parents claimed the decision to relocate the school is because the land will be sold.
However, City Mayor Andrew Mua slammed the claims and ordered the school to be demolished in 48 hours’ time if they fail to provide evidence of the name of the foreigner they claimed he is selling the land to.
He said the main intention to relocate the school is to allow the site for recreational purposes.
The parents earlier demanded the school will not relocate until the Mayor provides an alternative site.
More on the proposed protest will be discussed today by the task-force.
By IAN MCDONALD
