Ratu Kadavulevu School students are being urged to respect authority and focus on their classes.

This comes as Ratu Kadavulevu School in Tailevu will close for a week following concerns about the students’ safety.

The Education Ministry has taken this step following a protest staged by a small group of students at RKS ground last Friday which was allegedly targeted at the principal.

Former RKS Scholar and Minister for Defense Inia Seruiratu are calling on the students to respect the Education Ministry’s authority including the teachers who are posted to the school.

Seruiratu adds that there are processes and systems in place and better ways to raise grievances or complaints.

“To the students of RKS again respect the authorities and make sure that you get back to school, classes need to resume. Let those in authority handle the issues but for them, this is about their future and they need to take that seriously and of course, we hope that they will make the right decisions.”

Minister for Education Rosy Akbar confirms 109 students who were boarding did not attend class yesterday.

Akbar says they have not received any valid complaints and students seem to have come up with new issues over the weekend.

“Unfortunately something transpired over the weekend and they put up the banner that they wanted to Principal resolved. So we again sent our Ministry official team to see what the new issue was. So far we haven’t actually been able to understand what the issue is that the students have with the principal.”

Akbar says closing RKS for a week was not an easy decision adding that a thorough investigation will be conducted with the teachers and students involved.

The Education Minister also highlighted that they have urged the parents and Parent/Teacher Association to assist the Ministry in coming to a resolution.