Different opinions have been raised during the national conversation on corporal punishment with the Fijian Teachers Association pushing forward with the reintroduction of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure.
FTA General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga says he represents a group that had raised issues happening in the classroom during their Annual General Meeting where teachers are being sworn at, objects thrown at them, while female teachers are being abused.
He says the lives of teachers are being threatened as these issues were only seen in secondary schools before but now, it is also happening in primary school.
Manumanunitoga adds that parents are not playing their roles to discipline their children.
He further adds that when parents neglect their responsibilities, children start to involve themselves in disrespectful behaviour.
The General Secretary says what they are pushing for is that leather belts be used by the Heads of Schools for only disciplinary purposes and not anger.
Permanent Secretary for Justice and Psychologist Selina Kuruleca says when a child is being struck, their brain translates it as danger.
She says discipline should never damage children’s progress but it should build them.
Kuruleca says repeated beating turns a child to mistrust.
She adds the science has revealed that corporal punishment is not good for any child.
The Permanent Secretary says teachers must also be equipped and trained in this field.
Samoan Supreme Court Judge and former Rights of A Child committee member Justice Vui Clarence Nelson says corporal punishment is linked to domestic violence.
He says people are not born violent but learn this through adults.
He acknowledged the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection for organizing this talanoa session as it it the first step building a better future for our children.
He also highlighted that we have failed our teachers because they were not equipped to take on the responsibility to discipline a child.
He adds there is a need for everyone to be talking about this because our children will be our leaders of tomorrow.
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