Pacific news in brief for 4 August
AFP / Sebastian Kaulitzki / Science Photo Library
Samoa media are reporting a fifth child has died from dengue fever.
The country is in the midst of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease.
Meanwhile, education minister Ae'au Chris Hazelman said all schools will remain closed this week due to the outbreak, including ECE and universities.
"Based on the data provided to us by the Ministry of Health, not only at our national hospital at Moto'otua but all of our district hospitals as well and also the hospital in Savai'i - it is based on those numbers that we have made the decision to close the schools."
Schools were closed last week and a fumigation programme was launched.
The province of East Sepik has opened a new trade route, with a shipment of cocoa to Shandong in China.
NBC
reported it comes 25 years after Sir Michael Somare forged a sister-province agreement between East Sepik and Shandong.
On the eve of the country's 50th anniversary of independence, the East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird, reflected on this legacy, and praised Sir Michael's foresight.
He said it may be the first export from East Sepik to its sister province.
Bird said not only does it strengthen East Sepik's trade footprint but it's also a symbolic realisation of Sir Michael's diplomatic legacy.
NBC
reported business leaders and the community see the announcement as a positive milestone for local industry, hoping it paves the way for more exports and collaboration with China.
Fiji's Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua met with the New Zealand Minister for Customs and Associate Minister for Police, Casey Costello, and her delegation in Suva last week.
The Fijian government government said discussions centred on the growing threats of transnational crime and drug trafficking affecting Fiji.
A primary school teacher in Fiji has been charged with allegedly beating a young boy with a PVC pipe, injuring his stomach and ear.
fijivillage.com
reports that the man entered no plea when he appeared in the Nadi Magistrates Court last week.
He was granted bail and will appear in court again on 9 September.
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RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
Children's Commissioner calls for urgent closure of Gloriavale Christian School
Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly The Children's Commissioner is calling for the urgent closure of Gloriavale Christian School, saying she has zero confidence that students are safe. School leaders must next week show the Ministry of Education that they are fixing problems identified in a July Education Review Office (ERO) report or it will consider cancelling the private school's registration. The deadline loomed at a time of leadership change at the West Coast Christian community, with Howard Temple resigning as Overseeing Shepherd following his conviction for sexual offending . The ERO report found the school had not met three of eight registration criteria and was not a physically and emotionally safe space for students, marking Gloriavale's second failed audit in as many years. Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said the school should not remain open and called on the government to show bravery and protect children's rights. "I'm hugely concerned to see yet another report from ERO outlining a very troubling situation at the Gloriavale school. This is now clear-cut. I'm calling for the school to be closed. I have zero confidence about children's physical and emotional safety and well-being at the school," she said. Achmad said she had raised her concerns with the ministry. "The evidence has mounted now to a point where this is urgent. I repeat my call for the school to be closed so that the rights of children to education are upheld," she said. "The majority of people living at Gloriavale are children but it is well documented more widely that this is a coercive control environment that children are living in and that the community and the school is not a safe place for children. "It is clear that children in Gloriavale are having to deal with a range of risks to their rights and direct violations of their rights. This is a crucial opportunity for the government to step in to take brave action to protect children's rights in Gloriavale." If the ministry decided to close the school, Achmad said it would need to create a bespoke transition plan for Gloriavale children to access alternative education. Gloriavale Christian Community. Photo: RNZ / Jean Edwards Ministry of Education acting hautū (leader) Te Tai Runga (South) Andrea Williams said officials met Gloriavale school leaders on 23 July to express serious concerns about its compliance with registration requirements and issue a second formal "notice to comply". "To retain its registration as a private school, Gloriavale Christian School must submit an updated action plan that should outline how the school intends to meet the criteria that have not yet been satisfied. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for 20 August, where the school is expected to present evidence of completed and ongoing actions," she said. "The ministry expects Gloriavale Christian School to take responsibility for addressing the unmet criteria independently and we are closely monitoring their progress. We understand the school has engaged an external education consultant to support these efforts. "The ministry remains deeply concerned about the physical and emotional safety of students. The school has been advised that if it cannot present a viable plan within the required timeframe, cancellation of its registration as a private school is a possible outcome." Education Minster Erica Stanford said she had sought official advice about the school. "I have been kept up-to-date by my officials at ERO. They have serious concerns which is why they have gone in again, done a report, said here are the things that need to be fixed," she said. Asked if she thought children were safe at the school, Stanford repeated her remarks about the ERO's concerns. "I've made sure that they are going in regularly. I will be receiving that final report and we will make decisions after that," she said. Education Minster Erica Stanford. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Under the Education and Training Act, the ministry could cancel the registration of a private school if it no longer met the criteria, including providing suitable premises, staffing, curriculum, or ensuring student safety and well-being. The step was considered only after other avenues had been exhausted and where there was clear and ongoing non-compliance, the ministry said. Gloriavale has been contacted for comment. While July's ERO report found Gloriavale Christian School staff were following the New Zealand curriculum and education provision was "slowly improving", it identified a lack of suitable staffing for enrolled students with complex additional needs who could not attend because of insufficient equipment to support their physical needs. The ERO report also noted the Teaching Council was investigating an allegation of staff misconduct and the school had been instructed to formally monitor the staff member. The report said about 40 percent of the 224 school-aged children at Gloriavale attended the school, while about half were home-schooled and the remainder were enrolled with Te Kura (formerly the Correspondence School). A damning 2023 ERO review found the school did not meet six of the eight criteria for private school registration and the provision of education was "inadequate and uncertain". Based on publicly available information, former Education Review Officer Paul Matthews told RNZ the ministry's process needed to happen "fairly urgently" because of the depth and extent of the school's non-compliance. Matthews, who was not involved with Gloriavale during his time at the ERO, said the best results were achieved with negotiation and consultation with school boards. If a school was forced to close, the ministry also had a responsibility to help children find an alternative place to go, he said. "Private schools rarely come up for cancellation because they rely on attracting fee-paying students, their public relations and profile is really important. They really can't afford to be offering an inferior product to state schools because they just wouldn't survive," he said. "Gloriavale is a different situation, almost unique because it's a closed community. Market forces really don't apply." Gloriavale Christian School sought to become an Independent Schools of New Zealand member last year but its application was declined. Gloriavale member David Stedfast - who is a defendant in a multi-million-dollar slavery class action brought by former members against the Christian community - was on placement at Paparoa Range School in June, according to the school's Facebook page. When approached by RNZ, board of trustees presiding member Louise Gault said the school could not comment on individual student teachers or related personal matters because of privacy obligations. "Paparoa Range School is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. We regularly host student teachers as part of their professional training, in partnership with accredited tertiary institutions," she said in a statement. "We take our responsibilities seriously and have robust processes in place to assess and manage placements, including consideration of any potential risks. Where appropriate, we seek advice from relevant authorities and act in accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines." The deadline for the school loomed at a time of leadership change at the West Coast Christian community, with Howard Temple resigning as Overseeing Shepherd following his conviction for sexual offending. Photo: The Press/Kai Schwoerer Last month, Temple pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act and two of common assault days into a judge-alone trial in Greymouth. On Tuesday, the community confirmed Stephen Standfast had replaced Temple as Overseeing Shepherd. "The Overseeing Shepherd of the Gloriavale Christian Community, Howard Temple, 85, has resigned," Gloriavale said in a statement. "His position has been taken by Stephen Standfast, who has been designated to replace Mr Temple for several years. Mr Temple succeeded the community's founder, Hopeful Christian, upon his death in 2018. In the years since then, he has led a campaign to establish policies around child safety and well-being, as well as workplace health and safety. "Mr Standfast, 48, has spent several years now working with outside agencies to support on-going changes for safety and well-being." Temple is on bail and would be sentenced in December. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
04-08-2025
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 4 August
Photo: AFP / Sebastian Kaulitzki / Science Photo Library Samoa media are reporting a fifth child has died from dengue fever. The country is in the midst of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease. Meanwhile, education minister Ae'au Chris Hazelman said all schools will remain closed this week due to the outbreak, including ECE and universities. "Based on the data provided to us by the Ministry of Health, not only at our national hospital at Moto'otua but all of our district hospitals as well and also the hospital in Savai'i - it is based on those numbers that we have made the decision to close the schools." Schools were closed last week and a fumigation programme was launched. The province of East Sepik has opened a new trade route, with a shipment of cocoa to Shandong in China. NBC reported it comes 25 years after Sir Michael Somare forged a sister-province agreement between East Sepik and Shandong. On the eve of the country's 50th anniversary of independence, the East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird, reflected on this legacy, and praised Sir Michael's foresight. He said it may be the first export from East Sepik to its sister province. Bird said not only does it strengthen East Sepik's trade footprint but it's also a symbolic realisation of Sir Michael's diplomatic legacy. NBC reported business leaders and the community see the announcement as a positive milestone for local industry, hoping it paves the way for more exports and collaboration with China. Fiji's Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua met with the New Zealand Minister for Customs and Associate Minister for Police, Casey Costello, and her delegation in Suva last week. The Fijian government government said discussions centred on the growing threats of transnational crime and drug trafficking affecting Fiji. A primary school teacher in Fiji has been charged with allegedly beating a young boy with a PVC pipe, injuring his stomach and ear. reports that the man entered no plea when he appeared in the Nadi Magistrates Court last week. He was granted bail and will appear in court again on 9 September.
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 21 July
Pacific trade ministers have welcomed the draft Kava Declaration. Photo: Eric Lafforgue / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP Pacific trade ministers have welcomed the draft Kava Declaration, marking a significant step toward safeguarding kava's cultural and economic importance across the region. At a gathering in Suva, Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, and his counterparts supported enhanced legal protections and the development of geographical indications for kava. Ministers tasked a technical working group with concrete next steps for a national and international geographical indication registration. This aims to bolster kava's brand value and protecting its traditional roots. Samoa's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour has officially declared two public holidays in August to support the smooth conduct of the country's 2025 General Election. In a public notice, the Ministry confirmed that Thursday, 28 August and Friday, 29 August will be observed as national public holidays. The purpose of these holidays is to provide all eligible voters across the country with adequate time to participate in the election process. The declaration applies to all government ministries, private sector organisations, and the general public. More than 100,000 eligible voters have registered for next month's upcoming general election. Samoa's Police Commissioner Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo is describing the widespread use and trafficking of methamphetamine as a national pandemic. The Police, Prisons and Corrections Services has stepped up its campaign against methamphetamine. Over recent months, police have carried out a series of targeted raids across the country, arresting people linked to the possession of methamphetamine, drug utensils, and illegal firearms. Auapa'au said the scale of the problem now requires sustained, long-term enforcement as well as broader community support. He said the use and distribution of meth is no longer isolated to a few cases, adding that it's spreading throughout the country and destroying lives and families. Seven Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers have fled a police investigation in Aitape in West Sepik Province. The Post-Courier reported that the police suspect the soldiers had been hired to provide security for a candidate in the Aitape-Lumi by-election. A search was conducted in the early hours of Tuesday to find the soldiers but they are understood to have caught a flight from Wewak to Port Moresby. Assistant Police Commissioner Steven Francis said the soldiers were "illegally on the ground on an unauthorised mission and allegedly providing security and other activities for a candidate." Polling is underway for the by-election and is expected to continue until 1 August. Family members of Papua New Guinea's first ever saint are preparing to travel from Australia to Rome for his canonisation in October. A catechist during the second world war, Blessed Peter To Rot, was executed by Japanese forces, for refusing to compromise on Catholic teachings regarding marriage. A PNG Catholic community elder in Sydney, David Luke, told ABC Tok Pisin that travel preparations have begun for several of their own congregation including members of Blessed Peter To Rot's family. Blessed Peter To Rot was beatified by Pope John Paul the second in 1995, and then cleared for canonisation by the late Pope Francis, who visited PNG in September last year. Schools in the Northern Marianas are bracing for a possible fiscal cliff, according to the Board of Education. Governor Arnold Palacios is planning substantial cuts to the education budget allocation. The government is proposing a US$40 million dollar grant but the Public School System has requested just over 49 million dollars. The Board of Education has testified that if the government's proposal is implemented they could be forced to declare a state of emergency in education.
