ATTEMPTS by the Solomon Islands Students Association’s (SISA) executive to help terminated students studying at the University of the South Pacific (USP) has failed.
This was after the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Dr Franco Rodie stood by National Training Committee’s (NTC) decision to terminate the students.
Earlier this week, an appeal letter was sent to the National Training Unit (NTU) stating the reasons why the executive think that the National Training Committee (NTC) should reconsider their decision.
In the submission, SISA is seeking approval from the Ministry to allow students to continue with their studies this semester.
Reports this paper received yesterday confirmed that the President of SISA at USP, Laucala campus has met with the PS earlier this week after the submission.
Dr Rodie however said, as the PS of the Ministry, he extremely stands by the decision that NTC came up with.
It was also reported that the president, Anthony Maelasi sends an apology message to the students where he said, that the executive’s effort to try and intervene for the students was unsuccessful.
Speaking to the paper on Wednesday, a communication officer within the NTU office said, the Ministry will always stand by its policy, therefore those who failed three courses out of four or drop all four courses in the first semester of the academic term has no choice but to return.
Most of the students have failed either three or four of their courses for the first semester, meaning they only passed a course or not at all.
Meanwhile, the outcome is not encouraging for the students affected and this paper understands that they will be returning anytime this weekend.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
