Petero Delasau, a former teacher from Veivatuloa Village in Namosi, has called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in the education system.
While making his submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Justice, Law and Human Rights on the Education Bill, Delasau shared his experience of attending school during the colonial period before beginning his teaching career.
He says that, even today, his former students still call him “master.”
Delasau says that students showed respect because when they did something wrong, they were disciplined through corporal punishment.
Delasau also stated that nowadays it is difficult to differentiate between teachers and students because the boundaries are no longer clear, and the students are not showing respect.
He adds that teachers need to be respected, as they struggle daily with the attitude of students.
The former teacher also states that no matter how many times the curriculum is changed, it will not change the attitude of the students.
Meanwhile, majority of the submissions made in Namosi support the reintroduction of corporal punishment.
