BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
ONGOING bad weather conditions have forced schools in Gizo to postpone the official opening of the 2026 academic year.
Gizo primary and secondary schools were scheduled to begin classes this week; however, persistent bad weather has disrupted preparations and delayed the start of lessons.
Principal of Gizo Secondary School, Richard Hiva said school registration was supposed to be completed last week, but only a few parents were able to turn up due to the unfavourable weather.
He said late registration will continue throughout this week to allow other parents the opportunity to register their children.
“Like many schools in Western Province, the ongoing bad weather continues to disturb our academic year.
“We hope the weather will get better in the coming days,” Hiva said.
He said classes are now expected to begin next week and urged students to make every effort to attend school from Monday.
Hiva also called on teachers to report to their schools as soon as possible to ensure a smooth start to the academic year once weather conditions improve.

BY SYLVANA TEKUMAHA

Kohi Bridge in Sahalu Ward in North-West Guadalcanal was destroyed on Tuesday [Jan 27] following heavy rainfall and flooding.

The damage has cut off a vital transport route that connects the Northwest and West Guadalcanal constituencies to Honiara.

The heavy rain and flooding is due to the ongoing bad weather experienced across the country.

Since schools have commenced for the year, students from Visale and Selwyn College will be affected since the bridge connects these institutions to Honiara.

The disruption has affected daily traveling, making it difficult for farmers and fishermen from West Guadalcanal and Savo to transport their products to the market places.

Moreover, since West Guadalcanal has various schools and several religious centres, it can also affect church activities, visitation to these centres and they may seek costly alternative routes.

According to a Guadalcanal Provincial Government press statement, they said that they will work alongside the Ministry of Infrastructure Development this week to assess the damage.

The Kohi Bridge is prone to flooding, this is the 3rd time for the bridge to be partially destroyed.

Kohi is situated 38 kilometres from Honiara and 10 kilometres from Selwyn College.

According to the Solomon Islands Meteorology Service (SIMS) strong wind and heavy rain warning for all provinces still continues.

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
FORMER Education Officer of Western Province has called on both the provincial and national governments to urgently provide alternative pathways for students who have dropped out of the formal education system.
Western Provincial Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) for Ward 10, Freedom Tozaka, said the Government, through the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), must establish more Rural Training Centres (RTCs) across the country to provide second-chance opportunities for school dropouts.
He said education challenges facing the country require a collective approach involving the Ministry of Education, provincial governments, development partners, non-government organisations (NGOs) and local communities.
Tozaka said these stakeholders must work together to create supportive learning environments for students, starting from school readiness programmes through to retention incentives that encourage students to complete their education.
He said there is a great need to increase the number of senior secondary schools and vocational education placements, particularly in rural provinces, to ensure more students can continue their education instead of being forced out due to limited spaces.
“Reducing school dropouts is not just an education issue but a national development priority.
“High dropout rates are linked to broader social challenges including unemployment, youth disenfranchisement and slowed economic growth.
“Without urgent and sustained action, our country risks leaving a large segment of its young population without the skills and opportunities needed to contribute meaningfully to society,” Tozaka said.
He said it is time for the government to rewrite and strengthen education policies that promote student retention and completion, encourage gender equality in education, and lay a strong foundation for a prosperous future.
Island Sun understands that Solomon Islands is facing a serious education challenge, with a high number of students leaving school each year due to a severe shortage of available spaces at key education levels.
This year alone, an estimated 1,592 Year Nine students were unable to progress to Year 10, while 3,703 Form Six students failed to secure places in Form Seven.
In 2025, a staggering 4,126 Form-Three students, 3,486 Form Five students and 4,400 students were forced out of the education system highlighting the widening gap between available school placements and the growing number of students seeking education.

BY MORRIS NAFU

The Orange Alert warning continues for Solomon Islands as bad weather takes its toll in communities around the country.
Strong wind and heavy rain warning was issued by the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) is active for all waters across the Solomon Islands yesterday [Jan 28].
SIMS says the current bad weather condition remains unchanged across the country, with intermittent breaks.
Statement confirmed an active trough lies just south of the Solomon Islands, linking to a tropical low located east of Vanuatu.
Westerly winds are expected to reach 20 to 25 knots, with gusts up to 30 knots over all waters.
Seas will be moderate to rough, accompanied by moderate south to southwest swells measuring 2.5 to 3.5 metres.
Poor visibility is anticipated in showers and thunderstorm areas.
Residents and travellers are urged to take precautionary measures, as these strong winds could impact lives and properties.
Sea travellers are urge to consider safety actions, as the winds may produce dangerous wave conditions hazardous to small boats.
The warning also highlights associated clouds and heavy rain with thunderstorms expected to affect all provinces.
Such heavy rain may lead to possible landslides and flash flooding in communities near hill slopes, large rivers, streams, and low-lying areas.
People are strongly advised to take safety measures to avoid danger and loss of lives.
The service emphasises sharing this information with people with disabilities to ensure everyone is informed and prepared.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of the parliamentary opposition group, Matthew Wale, says political instability is unfair to the people of Solomon Islands, as it affects government from delivering on the expectations of the people.
Wale blamed the government itself for the instability, urging them to take responsibility to address the issue, ensuring it doesn’t affect the nation in 2026.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele also raised similar concerns last year, noting that political instability has also contributed to low productivity in 2025.
In a recent interview with Insight, Wale responded to public perceptions that the no-confidence motions last year, which caused political instability, were instigated by the opposition.
He clarified that the no-confidence motions were instigated by government and must be dealt with by themselves, so it doesn’t affect the country this year.
“As everyone knows, we had two motions of no-confidence that were withdrawn, and these motions belonged to the government itself,” Wale said.
He said they were instigated within the government, and under some pressure, they were withdrawn.
Wale emphasized that the opposition was not behind the motions, and it is crucial for the public to understand that the responsibility lies with the government.
He stressed that the country cannot continue down this path, as political instability has already had a significant negative impact.
“My point is, we cannot continue like this because it is unfair to the people of Solomon Islands,” Wale said, because the government has not been able to deliver due to political instability
Wale called on Prime Minister Manele to make decisive actions to resolve the situation, rather than waiting for it to resolve itself.
He appealed to the government to fix the situation, because its unfair for the Solomon Islands if this kind of behaviour continues in 2026.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale has raised concern about the credibility of the 2026 budget, saying if revenue falls short, borrowing becomes the next option.
However, Wale stressed that any borrowing must be directed towards productive investments that can generate income to repay the loans.
Speaking recently on Insight, Wale said he has repeatedly urged the government in parliament not to fear borrowing.
“You would have heard that I have made the point repeatedly in Parliament, urging the government not to fear borrowing,” he said.
Wale emphasised that the productivity of government borrowing is critical, noting that while he supports borrowing, it must be tied to productive investments.
He said investments in agriculture, tourism, and fisheries would significantly benefit the economy, both by increasing gross domestic product and generating government revenue to service the debt.
However, Wale warned that clear implementation plans must be in place before any funds are borrowed.
He added that it is crucial to pre-plan the capacity of ministries and other stakeholders to implement projects and absorb the level of investment in a productive way.
“These are the areas that must be considered before borrowing. If done properly, it will have a positive impact on the economy,” he said.
Wale stressed that economic planning must look ahead 10 to 15 years and remain the focus of government policy.
He said it would be disappointing if the country continues repeating the same approaches of the past decade.
Wale warned that in 15 years’ time, the country’s population could reach close to 1.5 million, and life would become much harder if the government does not change the way it does things now.

BY JUNELYN KELLY
Police have called off a search and rescue operation along the Lungga river delta after the body of the missing person was found yesterday evening [Jan 28].
The body was located at the Henderson seaside and police were called in to retrieve it to the morgue, a police statement last night said.
Later family members were called in and identified the body as that of the late Ishmael Fiusilia, the police statement said.
Police had launched a search operation following a report of a missing person believed to have been washed away while attempting to cross the Lungga River near the Crusher Area, the statement said.
Initial attempts by family members to locate the individual were unsuccessful. As a result, police were alerted, and a coordinated response was initiated.
Police requested assistance to conduct surveillance and search operations along the Lungga River, including the river mouth area. Relevant police units were informed and took part in the search efforts, police said.
Police extends its deepest condolences to the family and relatives for the loss of their loved one.

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Isabel Provincial Education Provider Office (IPEPO) has urged teachers, students and education staff to remain in their villages and safe locations until the current spell of bad weather subsides.
In a statement released yesterday [Jan 28], IPEPO said no teacher, student or staff member should undertake any travel that could put their own lives or the lives of others at risk.
The office said delays in travelling to schools due to safety concerns are fully supported and will be respected, adding that school administrations must exercise flexibility and understanding regarding attendance during this period.
“If you are in a safe location, remain there. Individuals currently at home or in a secure place are strongly advised to stay where they are until there is a confirmed and sustained improvement in local weather and travel conditions,” the statement said.
IPEPO said no one should begin their journey until it is safe to do so, urging individuals to personally assess the safety of their travel routes and to check official weather updates before departing.
“We urge everyone to heed warnings from our Meteorological Service, avoid floodwaters and do not attempt to cross unsafe bridges or roads,” the statement added.
IPEPO calls on all schools, teachers, students and parents to cooperate and remain cautious, emphasising that the safety and wellbeing of staff and students must remain a top priority during adverse weather conditions.

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Authorities are urging people to take weather warnings and advice seriously during this bad weather.
So far, two people are dead reportedly in relation to the ongoing bad weather, police said.
Police are investigating one death in Noro.
And, police announced last night [Jan 28] the body of a man earlier reported missing in the Lungga river has been found.
The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) yesterday at 4pm issued strong warning number-seven and heavy rain warning number-five at 7pm.
The SIMS said the strong wind warning and heavy rain warning are current for the country.
The SIMS said that the strong wind is due to an active trough lying just south of Solomon Islands and linked to a tropical low located east of Vanuatu and
The heavy rain warning is due to an active trough that lies just south of Solomon Islands and links to a tropical low located near the northern parts of Vanuatu.
Westerly winds are expected to reach 20 to 25 knots gust up to 30 knots, over all waters of Solomon Islands, and seas will be moderate to rough with moderate south to southwest swells 2.5-3.5 metres.
The SIMS urged sea travellers to consider safety actions, as such winds can produce dangerous wave conditions, which are hazardous to small boats
They further add that associated clouds and heavy rain with thunderstorms are expected to affect all provinces and may lead to possible landslides and flash flooding over communities living near hill slopes, close to large rivers, streams and low-lying areas.
The SIMS therefore strongly advised people to take safety measures to avoid danger and loss of life during this wet and windy season.

By RODRICK DESURI
Auki
Food gardens have been washed away and leaf-houses have had their roofs blown off in Bira and surrounding communities in West Kwaio, Malaita province.
This follows the ongoing bad weather experienced across the country.
Bira community elder, Abraham Taloinao confirmed to the paper yesterday [Jan 28] afternoon that people living along the Bira River reported their food gardens washed away yesterday afternoon.
“Yes, from the information I received, a few food gardens of community members have been washed away by the Bira River,” he said.
“As for the damage to houses, there is no actual damage to any house, except for the roofs of the leaf-houses that were blown off by the strong wind.”
He said villagers are staying indoors and listening for weather updates from social media and media outlets in the country.
“Here at Bira, we just stay indoors, have less movement, and have survived on what we have prepared.
“We just listen for the weather updates from our media outlets and social media, like the meteorological service’s Facebook page, for related information,” he said.