The 2015 Dux Award for Nabua Primary School has been held back pending an investigation by the Ministry of Education.

This was after a parent lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Education claiming the award should have gone to her daughter instead of the incumbent, Kacisau Kataiwai.

Kacisau’s family had been informed of the award prior to the prizegiving that was held at Suva Civic Centre on Wednesday. However, the 13-year-old only received prizes for Year Eight English, Fijian, Basic Science, Health Science, LANA Numeracy and the Best All Around award except for the eagerly-awaited Dux Award.

Kacisau’s mother Nanise Kataiwai said she would take the necessary action to get justice after the school’s prizegiving ceremony earlier this week.

School head teacher Sunia Lesivou confirmed the Dux Award had to be held back because of the complaint lodged with the ministry.

“The frustrated mother of the claimant, disappointed by the school’s decision to award the dux to Kacisau, went to the Ministry of Education and told them that the dux should be based on the FEYE results and that the award should have gone to her daughter,” Mr Lesivou said.

“However, our decisions was made according to academic merit and we never favoured any student; now we will have to wait when the Fiji Eighth Year Examination result is released to determine the dux of the school because after a meeting before the prizegiving with the ministry; the decision was made to award the dux based on the FEYE results.”

The head teacher said if it was up to him he would have made the decision through his own internal assessment based on academic achievements in the school.

Mrs Kataiwai said her son’s academic achievement was witnessed by people at the school’s prizegiving ceremony.

“We don’t need to prove them anything because everybody saw my son’s achievement and the teachers know that it is true; as a mother I am going to fight for my son because I know that he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.”

She said it was so sad because her son was looking forward to receiving the Dux Award.

Meanwhile, Kacisau said he felt humiliated by the mother who had made the claims.

“I was told off by her in front of 33 students in my class because she was blaming me; I was embarrassed and couldn’t utter a word,” he said

“My academic achievements were never through cheating because I believe that cheating is never the answer; they speak for themselves and the Almighty knows how I have worked hard for this trophy and I hold no grudges against other student,” he said.

The Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy said they would carry out an investigation on the matter.

arieta.vakasukawaqa@fijisun.com.fj