Withholding Fiji S.C. results condemned

Press, 7 March 1983, Page 30

Withholding Fiji S.C. results condemned

PA Wellington An education society in Fiji has launched an attack on the New Zealand Government and Education Department for withholding school certificate results from some of its students. The Ba Gujarat Education Society, which manages the A.D. Patel Memorial High School in Ba, Fiji, ran an advertisement in the “Fiji Sun” last week condemning the withholding of the results. It says the New Zealand Government’s actions have caused anxiety to the students, staff, and parents involved and have given the school a bad name. The issue relates to the alleged leakage of a school certificate accountancy paper in Fiji before last year’s examination. A policeman stationed in Ba got hold of a photostated S.C. accountancy paper before the examination. Police investigations had been launched there to see who leaked the paper. The Education Department’s director of administration, Mr Brian Richards, said that the police in Fiji had not come up with anything. ' Two schools in Ba were affected — the Memorial

High School and Sanatan High School — and the department was temporarily withholding results to these schools. The police investigations over there have been inconclusive,” said Mr Richards. “But we’ve been doing an independent investigation and there is a suspicion that there are irregularities (to do with the examination). We are at present discussing the matter with the Ministry of Education of Fiji.” Mr Richards said he hoped discussions with the Ministry would be over soon, and they would have come to some conclusion on what to do about the results. The Ba Gujarat Society says in its advertisement that 43 Memorial High School and 10 Sanatan High School students are waiting for results. “Withholding of results of so many students for so long without proof against any of them is sheer unmitigated injustice, being against all rules of natural justice,” it says. The advertisement appeals to the Government and public of Fiji to condemn the New Zealand Government’s action, and call for an explanation and apology to the Qtiidpntc