Save the Children Fiji has strongly condemned recent calls to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools, warning that such actions are illegal, unconstitutional, and a violation of children’s rights.
The organisation was responding to public comments made by members of the Fijian Teachers Association, including suggestions to bring leather belts into classrooms.
CEO Shairana Ali says these remarks not only breach Fijian law but also risk inciting violence and carry legal and professional consequences.
She says this is not a debate; corporal punishment is banned under Fijian law and court rulings.
She adds that it violates Section 41 of the Constitution and our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Ali says violence is not discipline, and scientific evidence confirms corporal punishment harms children physically, emotionally, and developmentally.
She says the recent MICS Plus 2024–2025 survey found that 68 percent of Fijian children aged 1 to 14 experienced violent discipline, with rural and iTaukei children most affected.
Ali says no child should grow up in fear or pain, and we must move towards non-violent and respectful discipline.
Save the Children Fiji says it is ready to work with any school, village, or faith-based organisation interested in learning how to discipline children without violence.
