A-G: Corporal Punishment Not a Solution
Corporal punishment cannot be seen as a solution for behaviour problems for many schools, says Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
He made this statement yesterday while addressing students during the 2018-2019 National Budget Consultation at the Vunimono Hall in Nausori.
Lelean Memorial School headboy Tevita Turaganivalu asked Mr Sayed-Khaiyum if corporal punishment could help improve students’ behaviour. He said teachers were burdened with improving the stu- dents’ behaviour. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said he agreed that rights came with responsibilities and it was all right to talk about corporal punishment. However, he said, they had to understand what corporal punishment meant practically.
“I don’t know if a student’s parents would appreciate their child getting corporal punishment. You agree that indiscipline is a bad thing, but the point of the matter is that it’s a behavioural issue.”
Queries were also raised by Naitasiri Secondary School concerning the late arrivals of their text books. Student Mariana Lisa Nai said the Year 13 work books arrived in week nine and they were yet to receive the Year 10 text books. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum responded that he had met with all the officials of the Ministry of Education in their head office and informed them that every student must have their text books on the first day of school.
“Everybody was to receive their text books on the first day of the school. The officials said to me that they have done it,” he said.
He said this was the reason why the civil service reforms were introduced.
“The civil servants need to do their job properly. We tell them what to do, but a lot of them do not do their job properly,” Mr SayedKhaiyum said.
“It’s not because the text books are not available; it’s not because the Government hasn’t given enough money, it’s because some people are not doing their job.”
He said the only way they got to know about these issues was when they were directly informed by the students. • • •
schools.
Schools that made submissions were Year 12 and 13 students from the provinces of Tailevu, Naitasiri and Rewa.