Students have called for stronger constitutional protection against corporal punishment, better systems to address bullying, a review of tertiary student allowances and stronger online safety measures during the public consultation on the Constitution Amendment Bill at Votualevu School.
While making her submission, the Head Girl of Votualevu College, Grace Ritishma Chand raised concerns about the proposed inclusion of the phrase "lawful and moderate chastisement" in the Constitution Amendment Bill saying that the wording is concerning because Section 11 of the Constitution already guarantees freedom from cruel and degrading treatment, while Section 41 protects children from abuse, violence and inhumane punishment.
She says the proposed wording could create a loophole allowing violence against children to be justified as discipline.
Chand says corporal punishment can affect students physically, emotionally and psychologically, and children should instead be corrected through guidance, counselling and positive discipline.
She is calling for the Constitution to maintain strong protection for children and exclude any provision that could permit corporal punishment.
Sharing her personal experience of being bullied at school, Chand says it affected her mental and emotional well-being.
However, she says she was able to stand up for herself with the support of her school heads but questioned what happens to students who lack the confidence to report bullying.
She says students who report bullying should be listened to, taken seriously and supported rather than ignored or silenced.
The head girl is calling for confidential reporting channels in every school, protection for students who report bullying and the publication of annual bullying statistics.
She also raised concerns about the financial difficulties faced by tertiary students, particularly those receiving assistance through the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service hardship scheme.
Chand says students reportedly receive $1,000 per semester under the hardship scheme, while rental accommodation alone can cost between $300 and $600 a month.
She says students also have to meet transportation, food, electricity, water, internet and other education-related expenses.
Chand calls for hardship allowances to be reviewed annually to reflect the actual cost of living.
She also wants the right to education strengthened so that students are not prevented from pursuing their studies because of financial difficulties.
On online safety, she says students continue to face cyberbullying and harassment, with online disagreements sometimes leading to physical confrontations at school.
The head girl also called for online safety education in every school, confidential reporting systems for cyberbullying and adequate funding for the Online Safety Commission.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Assistant Head Girl Manvi Chandra called for the reintroduction of the Year 10 National Examination stating that students currently face a three-year gap between the Year 8 and Year 12 National Examinations, which can affect their examination discipline, consistency and confidence.
She believes bringing back the Year 10 examination would help identify academic weaknesses earlier and better prepare students for the Year 12 and Year 13 examinations.
Chandra also believes the examination could strengthen students' academic foundations and reduce reliance on scaling.
Deputy Head Girl Risha Raj, raised concerns about the rising cost of accommodation for tertiary students.
Raj says university dormitories are mostly available to first-year students, leaving many students to find private rental accommodation from their second year onwards.
She says increasing rental costs are forcing students to spend excessive hours working part-time to pay for accommodation, affecting their studies.
Raj says this is particularly difficult for students pursuing medical and science-related programmes, where laboratory and clinical commitments leave little time for outside employment.
She is calling on the Government to look closely at the issue and provide adequate assistance so students can focus on their academic studies.
