Fijian bus drivers and bus checkers wake up early in the morning to serve the public so it is disappointing to see school students harassing and bullying them, says the bus operators industry group.

Fiji Bus Operators Association general secretary Rohit Latchan said he was responding to a recent video on social media involving a high school student threatening a bus checker.

Latchan also pleaded with parents and teachers to teach students respect towards everyone, especially bus drivers and checkers.

• READ MORE: Other Fiji bus driver reports

“People should realise that bus drivers and checkers are also humans,” Latchan said.

“They’re providing service to the public, especially to students.

“I am pleading with parents and teachers to respect and appreciate bus drivers and checkers. There is no need for abuse or threats.

“Driving all day is not an easy job. We don’t want our drivers to get hurt.”

Closed fist threat
The video shows the student threatening a bus driver and a bus checker saying, ‘Au sega ni rerevaki kemudrau’ (I am not afraid of you) after he got on board with a closed fist.

Although it is unclear what caused the incident, many found the issue of a young student challenging adults alarming.

Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew said the matter had been directed to the Central Deputy Police Commissioner for investigations and a team would visit the school tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Selina Kuruleca said all necessary processes had been followed, including informing parents and the Child Protection Services.

“We again request parents to remind their children on the importance of proper behaviour at all times,” Kuruleca said.

“Even though the student was responding to some earlier incident by the driver, he could have reported the incident to the police instead of this swearing and threatening behaviour.

“The student is undergoing counselling at the moment.”

Temalesi Vono is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Assistant Commissioner Bruce O’Brien says police are working hard to understand and identify the origin of the threats being made to schools around Aotearoa New Zealand.

Police began investigations after at least a dozen schools in Masterton, Kaikōura, Greymouth, Queenstown, Levin, Whanganui, Rolleston, Takaka, Geraldine, Dunstan, Ashburton and Palmerston North were targeted today.

It was the second time this week serious threats have been directed at schools.

• LISTEN TO RNZ CHECKPOINT:  Schools threatened with explosive device, say police
• READ MORE: Other NZ bomb hoax reports

A similar string of bomb hoaxes disrupted North Island schools on Tuesday.

Today some chose to evacuate while others went into lockdown and resumed classes later in the day.

“You can appreciate the disruption that’s not only caused to the students but obviously the operation of the school and then the distress to not only the students but also their parents as well, so we’ve been working really closely with the schools to provide that reassurance,” Assistant Commissioner O’Brien said.

The majority of phone call threats were referring to an explosive device, which was why police believed the calls were coming from the same person, O’Brien said.

Calls threatening harm
Asked if the caller was demanding anything, such as money, he said he did not want to go into specifics, however, the calls were threatening harm to a degree that schools had no option but to take them seriously.

He said he was not 100 percent certain they were coming from offshore, but police were looking into that possibility.

In 2017, a similar threat came from offshore and that person was held to account.

O’Brien told RNZ Checkpoint police would work with international partners to make sure the caller was punished.

“I would just ask anybody if they do have any information to contact police.”

He was keen to reassure parents and students that police were doing everything possible to locate the source and they were also working closely with schools to ensure they had clear procedures in place to handle the emergency management of such threats.

“The threat level is low, however, we remind the schools to take the appropriate action when they do receive these types of threats.”

Waitaki Girls’ High School principal Liz Koni confirmed the Oamaru school was among those to receive a threat and it evacuated as a result.

“We received a hoax phone call to the school office today, just before midday,” she said.

“The police were immediately contacted and we evacuated to the rec centre. Evacuation went very smoothly; students were well behaved and settled.

“The police arrived and searched the premises — their response and support was excellent. At 1pm we were given the all clear and students were able to return to their classes.

“Parents were notified immediately after we returned to school and the remainder of the day was unaffected.”

‘Unprovoked, distressing’
Bomb threats made against schools around the country in recent days originated with an overseas cyberbot, the Principals’ Federation said.

President Cherie Taylor-Patel said the hoaxes were distressing for those affected.

She had spoken to Education Secretary Iona Holsted about the threats.

“The ministry has said that their understanding is that this was actually a cyberbot coming in from overseas. It apparently happened a couple of years ago, so it has happened before but obviously it’s not something that anyone is prepared for and it’s something that no one wants to have happen.”

She praised the efforts of schools to evacuate their students and maintain calm in the face of the threats.

“Today’s incidents were really unexpected, unprovoked and really distressing for those communities involved,” Taylor-Patel said.

Police Minister Chris Hipkins had a message for people ringing in bomb threats to schools: “Don’t be idiots.”

He said the police and Ministry of Education had plans in place to deal with threats.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.