7 Aug 2006

Calls for Kiribati education officials to be sacked as row over scholarships drags on

8:28 pm on 7 August 2006

Kiribati's Parent Teacher Association chairman says a meeting next week will call for the sacking of senior Education Ministry officials over their controversial allocation of scholarships.

Dr Baua Tebau says scholarships went to 18 students who had not qualified to do degree programmes in Fiji.

He says a lot of government money has been mispent as most of the 18 students have returned to Kiribati after failing to pass their foundation course last semester.

A Commission of Inquiry was held earlier in Kiribati and Fiji to look into the matter.

Dr Tebau says the President's office has not released the findings of the inquiry which was completed some months ago.

"They feel that they should be punished. They just can't have a report like that and then its left for nothing. What's the use of getting this other chap to do the investigations and the report goes south? And there's nothing done to these people who have done this decision making. Its useless, but anyway I'll leave it to committee members to decide."

PTA Chairman Dr Baua Tebau