QUEEN Victoria School (QVS) students went on a hunger strike on Tuesday, April 14, 1992, in a bid to remove the acting principal who allegedly punched a third form student a week before.
According to a report published in The Fiji Times on Wednesday, April 15, 1992, the hunger strike was a result of the closure of the school’s dining room and administration office, following a Ministry of Education decision to close the school a week early for the first term school holidays.
Four buses waited at the school for more than half a day to take the students home but they remained steadfast in their boycott.
The students boycotted classes to protest the actions of the acting principal.
They said the boycott and hunger strike, would continue until he was removed.
They threatened to report the matter to police if the ministry did not remove the AP immediately.
They would not even go home for the school holidays, but stay on the school compound.
QVS headboy Tevita Vakalalabure said in a meeting with students, school prefects’ council and the press, that he believed the AP was under the influence of liquor when he punched the student.
“The student was using the passage light to study even though it was bedtime,” he said.
“The acting principal told him to switch the light off and go to sleep which the boy did.
“When he was saying his prayer in bed, the acting principal punched him once through the mosquito net.
“Then he opened the net and continued punching him.
“This is not the first time he has done this.
“Last year he punched four students and this year he punched five students.”
He said some teachers had threatened to boycott classes if the AP was removed.
The 34 school prefects were controlling and organising community work for the students.
They had erected a notice along the roadside warning teachers not to enter within 10 metres of the compound.
Another prefect who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “We believe that he (acting principal) was under the influence of liquor because we could smell it and this is not the first time.
“Sometimes he walks in and out of the dormitories smelling of liquor.
“How can we get a decent education? He is not setting an example. He tells students not to drink, not to smoke and so on but he does that himself.
“This school was established by the chiefs to develop future leaders but how can we be future leaders if teachers and acting principals do this?” the prefect said.
In response to the prefect’s outburst, a fourth former said they would continue to boycott classes and go on a hunger strike until their demand was met.
This resulted in students shouting in support of the boycott and hunger strike.
Another prefect who spoke on the condition of anonymity urged parents not to worry about their children.
“The children are safe and we have not damaged any school property.
“But we need the support of the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) and members of the public to help us fight for what is right and what we believe in.”
The AP said newspaper reports on the boycott and bashing of the third former were exaggerated.
He refused to comment further.
