Solomon Islands Teachers threaten to boycott

Samson Faisi. Photo Souce: Solomon Star

Members of Solomon Islands National Teachers Association (SINTA) in Honiara have threatened to boycott the start of 2014 academic year next week, Solomon Star reports. 

SINTA industrial relations officer Samson Faisi said if council fails to listen to teachers’ call for the removal of Don Houkura, they will likely to boycott classes next week.

Faisi said Honiara teachers attending a meeting on Monday had called for the removal of former HCC education Chief Education Officer and now HCC education director Don Houkura from office.

 “In our meeting, all the teachers openly spoke their minds that they do not like Houkura to be in office,” Faisi said.

Faisi said SINTA will draft a letter to request the attendance of Mayor and Clerk for a meeting tomorrow to explain to teachers on what grounds and reasons council wants to keep Don Houkura.

He said teachers want this issue settled so that they can concentrate and prepare for the start of 2014 academic year.

“Whilst teachers respect the decision of the ministry of education to terminate Houkura, they see no reason why council still want to hold on to Houkura. Why don’t council respect the ministry’s decision as the mother body?” the teachers questioned.

Faisi said for this reason the Honiara teachers said they will not listen to Houkura since he is not answerable to the mother ministry.

Adding, teachers do not want to see the presence of Houkura in the HCC’s education office since HCC has already appointed a new CEO who is answerable to them.

He said teachers cannot tolerate Houkura’s presence and call on HCC to relocate Houkura to another office and not in the CEO’s office.

Honiara teachers further demand HCC to meet their housing allowances and clearly explain the process in which the 2014 teachers’ postings were done,” Faisi said.

Faisi said SINTA will as of tomorrow welcome teachers’ signatures for a petition to remove Don Houkura.

“If HCC fail to accept the petition, teachers will boycott classes as of next week as the second step to take,” Faisi said.

Meanwhile Faisi said SINTA will consult with the ministry of education to de-register HCC education authority for going on its own way to create a director’s post within its education structure which has never been authorised and approved by the mother ministry.

“What HCC education authority has done does not go in line with the ministry’s structure therefore should be deregistered for its action,” Faisi added.

Stressing SINTA will be writing to the ministry to deregister HCC education authority as their third step.

The call for Houkura’s removal came following allegations that he,

Terminating teachers without any good reasons;

Failing to comply with Solomon Islands teachers hand book when making decisions;

Failure to carry out inspection on teachers;

Allegations which Houkura dismissed, saying they were based on personal grudges against him.

Meanwhile city Clerk Charles Kelly said he welcomes the concerns of SINTA, however stressed that SINTA need to know that council is a separate body that has its own internal affairs.

Kelly said if SINTA is very concerned, then they need to discuss such issues internally with council’s education committee since it is the council’s legal body to deal with education matters of council.

The city clerk has given the green light to meet with SINTA tomorrow as planned. However stressed that council’s education standing committee will have a meeting today to discuss education matters and SINTA should come forward with their concerns before the committee.

Solomon Star