No form of violence against children can ever be justified.
That is the message from Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran, who says research already shows that a high percentage of children in Fiji go through violent discipline at home.
Kiran says we cannot legislate such measures.
She says there is a need for better parenting skills and focused, value-based teaching in the early life of children.
She says the Government has also launched a parenting app and says focused parenting is needed so child discipline challenges can be better managed.
She says the Constitution Amendment Bill is open to further refinement and she is sure that through the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee, this clause can be further amended.
The comments come after questions being raised over a provision in the Constitution Amendment Bill that has a section which says that while there is children's right to be protected from punishment, lawful and moderate chastisement is permissible for the purposes of correction.
