Education Minister, Dr Mahendra Reddy has called on Opposition Member Viliame Gavoka to immediately withdraw the petition he presented to Parliament last week.

Reddy’s comments follow a meeting with the Nadroga/Navosa Provincial Council chairman Ratu Aisea Waka on the weekend.

The meeting in Sigatoka was called to clarify the issue of the conversion of the Nadroga Navosa High School into a technical college.

Reddy says the petition presented in parliament created confusion as the provincial council and all stakeholders were consulted before discussions had progressed.

“So I said to Hon Gavoka that look the petition as no value because the owners of the school want an opportunity to be given to the children of Nadroga/Navosa. And I said he should what is honourable in terms of immediately withdrawing the petition and let the children of the province get an opportunity to get an education closer to their home.”

The Nadroga Navosa Provincial Council chairman Ratu Aisea Waka says some disgruntled parents appear to be behind the petition.

“I think in general, holistically our support of this remains. So we haven’t waived, we haven’t changed our minds and we are looking to working with the ministry and the government to move forward and see this become a fruition and a reality.”

Waka says Nadroga/Navosa has also amongst its students, dropouts and even youths and the province is tainted as a marijuana planting province.

He says there will be a lot of opportunities available for employment for students through such (Technical) colleges.

Opposition parliamentarian, Viliame Gavoka says about 240 parents, people of the vanua of Nadroga and Navosa signed the petition and they claim the initial consultation did not include them.