BY LORETTA B MANELE

Norman Palmer School farewelled Colin Butler, a former headmaster and teacher from the United Kingdom and now a trustee of the Melanesian Mission UK (United Kingdom).

Butler came to Solomon Islands in 2011 as a headteacher exchange and came to the school for a short period of time.

Back then, the school compound was quite different as compared to today.

Speaking to the paper, Butler said he returned again in 2013 and this time it was very important for him and his family accompanied him to Solomon Islands.

“So, my wife was also a teacher, and my two sons spent time actually being pupils here, so they went to classes, and this is where we actually did the signing of the agreement.”

During this year, he alongside late Archbishop David Vunagi and British High Commissioner at the time did a ground breaking ceremony of where a new classroom building stands today.

“I have now sat and stood and talked to children actually in that classroom, in that class, the big new one down there.

So, to do the groundbreaking, and to see the very first pegging out, but then we also did the painting, the first painting of the school, so it hadn’t been painted before, and we did the first painting.”

He expressed that this was 12 years ago and today, he is a trustee of the Melanesian Mission UK and have responsibility for school and education links.

Norman School Principal, Henry Rahemola at the farewell ceremony acknowledged the partnership between Butler and the school.

He said Butler’s visit reminds them of the important signing made with the previous administration of the school for sharing of information, to learn from each other and other avenues they may explore in the future.

Students also took the opportunity to present gifts to Butler and bid their goodbyes.

Butler highlighted that he has fallen in love with the Solomons and this trip around is very short, given it’s only two weeks.

He said his visits to other ACOM schools and RTC (Rural Training Centres) had given him an idea of future projects that the Melanesian Mission UK can do in partnership with the schools.

Butler noted that at the moment they are working on a new project which is the publication of a book to include prayers, poems and writings from Solomon Islands students and from students in the UK.

He returns to the UK this afternoon.

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