The Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) of the Ministry of Education, Matafeo Tanielu Aiafi issued a warning yesterday. He said that if fights keep breaking out at school rugby tournaments, they will once again be stopped.
Matafeo confirmed they would take action after a recent outbreak of fights at school rugby events.
“Parents and teachers should work together and find ways to reduce the problem and avoid it from happening,” he said.
“There are also committees that the ministry already selected to look at those ways of resolving such problems.”
Sport was included in the timetable for a reason, he said – but boxing is not one of them.
“There is no such thing as pushing them into sports such as rugby so that they can become very good boxers,” he told Samoa Observer.
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His comments were sought after a complaint from a concerned parent, who did not want to be named, but said that rugby tournaments in schools are once again starting fights in school.
The ministry must put a stop to it, said the concerned parent.
Matafeo confirmed that the ministry is taking this matter seriously.
If there are any more schools reported fighting over a tournament like rugby this year “the answer is no more rugby again.”
He said there had not been any direct complaint to the ministry.
“There is no complaint that the ministry received but this is what the ministry believes is right.
“It’s not appropriate for children to fight in school or in public places and I am sure that the parents of these children don’t send them to school to have fights; they were sent to school so that they can have better futures.
“We are all responsible and must work together for the betterment of our children.”
The ministry has previously banned some sports at schools due to fighting at sports events in the past.
One of the most infamous incidents attracted attention from overseas media in 2008 when students threw a Molotov cocktail during one brawl.
Two girls, both innocent bystanders, suffered burns in an incident involving rival students, and one had to be sent to New Zealand for treatment.
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