A 15-year-old student was subjected to physical abuse by a teacher using the handle of a mop and the teacher then instructed 5 other students to slap the student and in another incident, chilli was rubbed on the private parts of four boarding students for leaving school without permission while in another case, a child was subjected to verbal abuse by his teacher.
Following these serious cases of corporal punishment, the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission says they unequivocally condemn the recent call by the Fijian Teachers Association to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools.
Commission Chair Pravesh Sharma says the infliction of corporal punishment is unconstitutional and unlawful.
He says the reintroduction of such practices directly opposes the rights of children to a safe, supportive, and violence-free educational environment.
Sharma says corporal punishment is widely recognized as a form of violence and degrading treatment, infringing on children’s inherent dignity and contravening the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji.
Sharma says Fiji has also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which places a legal obligation on the State for the protection of children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury, or abuse as well.
Sharma further says that it is imperative to note that in 2002, the Lautoka High Court delivered a landmark ruling in the case of Ali v State that the infliction of corporal punishment in school is unconstitutional and unlawful.
He says the Child Protection Policy from Ministry of Education provides that the Ministry of Education and schools shall take all appropriate measures to protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The Chair says the policy also states that the Ministry of Education and schools shall have zero tolerance against child abuse perpetrators.
He says unfortunately, despite corporal punishment being unlawful, such a practice remains prevalent in some schools.
Sharma says the Commission continues to receive complaints of children being subjected to physical and emotional abuse in schools.
He stresses that corporal punishment impacts a child’s health and wellbeing.
The Commission is urging the State and other stakeholders to ensure that our schools are safe, and our education system promotes dignity and respect and has zero tolerance for violence.
Sharma adds there are always alternative means(positive discipline methods) to discipline children both in schools and at home.
