Discipline of children Temo: Courts left to clean the messes, Education Department has lost touch
THE High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo says the courts have been left to deal with discipline cases because of the inability of parents, schools and religious bodies to teach their children.
He shared this with members of the legal fraternity who converged for the 24th AttorneyGeneral’s Conference on Denarau Island yesterday.
Justice Temo’s comments followed discussions around the topic of children and the administration of justice.
“I’ve sat in the judiciary for 28 years and presided over cases and it comes back to how do we discipline our children,” Justice Temo said.
“I understand the laws surrounding equal rights, now for once in our generation, we were brought up under the school system, which encouraged discipline.
“I find that our Education Department have lost touch; those days, if you commit a wrong in school you are whacked in school and nowadays you can’t do that because if you whack anybody, teachers lose their jobs.”
Justice Temo said it was important for the local education system to develop a structure surrounding how discipline could be tacked in school.
He said the answer also lay with the country’s Constitution on developing laws surrounding this delicate issue.
“There are so many teachings from what is right and wrong; in church, in school and the failure comes to us in the courts to clean the messes.
“The inability of the parents, the inability of the schools, the inability of the religious bodies to teach up their children.
“I, for one, am an old-school person and believe in discipline.
“I think the politicians can come up with a solution on how to resolve this issue.”
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the Constitution had provisions in respect to the rights of the child.
He stated that they have also ratified various international conventions in that respect.
“But it’s not a political issue per se,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“Of course, politicians and members of parliament make laws that may have society may want to commit to get it, but it has to be done under the ambit of the Constitution.”
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