CHOISEUL Bay Provincial Secondary School (PSS) in Choiseul Province is faced with two problems – water shortage and lack of pots to cook student meals.
These problems threaten the wellbeing of the school community if not urgently addressed by the education provider of the school, which is the Choiseul Provincial Government.
Choiseul Province man John Matapaza confirmed this to Solomon Star and urged the education provider and other relevant authorities and parents to work together to address the problems the school is currently facing.
Water shortage has been an ongoing issue at the school, but the lack of pots is a new issue.
Mr Matapaza said these issues can be addressed by the school administration, but the administration could not address them and therefore his call on the school administration to close down the school so students can return to their villages for welfare reasons.
“The water issue is an ongoing problem. The issue of lack of pots just happened two weeks ago,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHRD), schools can be closed down in the event of water shortage or water pollution.
For instance, in 2023, Beulah Provincial Secondary School (PSS) in the Western Province had to close early due to the contamination of its water source by logging activities.
A closure notice from MEHRD is important to address water supply and sanitation issues to ensure the wellbeing of students.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
