'Cut' Worries RKS Head
School plans to build fence to control students entering, leaving premises to attend so-called ‘cult’ gathering One teacher warned and four students suspended
Authorities at Tailevu’s Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS) are proposing measures to stop students from congregating with members of a so-called prayer group alleged to be a cult operating near the school. The proposal has come from the school principal Pio Veivoli.
One of the measures includes fencing the school compound to control the movement of students in and out. This comes after a teacher was counselled for alleged involvement with the group and four students were suspended recently for going to the area where the group is operating. Yesterday Mr Veivoli said the issue was still a
major concern for the school.
He confirmed that last week he warned a teacher about a possible transfer after suspecting that the teacher was also joining the prayer group.
“I told that teacher, ‘if your name is brought up by the students then sorry you will have to go just like how the teachers were told to go in 2016’,” he said.
He added that three weeks ago he suspended four students for 10 days. They were found joining the group. “Those boys were called to my office because of the seriousness of that case. We are not taking it lightly, we are very serious about it.”
Mr Veivoli said even during the suspension period, the students were still going to the area.
“Just yesterday (Thursday), I counselled a student concerning his appearance at the area during suspension.”
Mr Veivoli added that he was taking it seriously to an extent where he visited the area to raise his concerns to the leaders.
“Until now we are not allowed to expel anyone because exams are coming up, but if anybody is caught the student will be sent off in 2019 and told not to come back.” He said that the students were vulnerable to the teaching of the prayer group.
“They are preaching to the boys not to go to school, that is the reason the students are interested,” Mr Veivoli said.
“We don’t allow them to go up there. That is an out-ofbound area.”
He added that he had also reported the matter to the Police because of the fear of trespassing of students.
“I asked the police for their assistance. We don’t like what’s going on.”
The Fiji Sun visited the prayer group yesterday, however the leader Jone Biutilodoni had left for Nadroga on a church mission.
However, in an earlier interview with him, he had said that; “We are not a cult. We are a legitimate prayer group.”
He also added that there was no such teaching for the students to stay home and not to attend school.
“It is their decision.”
The prayer ministry started in 2015 in a small classroom at RKS until 2016 when they were asked to leave. The group is now based at Wainitadro Settlement, Wainibau, a five minutes ride from the school.
The group is called the “Self Support Ministry”.
It is a breakaway group from the mainstream Seventhday Adventist Church.
Meanwhile, in 2016 some students and teachers reportedly joined the prayer group.
It caused tension in the school and escalated to a point that prompted the Ministry of Education to intervene and transfer three teachers to other schools.