The Fijian Teachers’ Association (FTA) has told the Constitution Review Commission that a breakdown in classroom discipline is driving a domestic brain drain in the education sector and is asking for a constitutional change to allow the return of corporal punishment. General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga said about 800 teachers have left Fiji for overseas work as growing disrespect and unruly behaviour make classrooms increasingly difficult to manage.
Manumanunitoga told commissioners yesterday that many teachers now face an “uphill battle” because students “know their rights” and are testing boundaries. “They even overdo it by swearing at the teachers, by putting up their hands, showing the finger, and throwing objects at teachers,” he said, arguing these incidents have contributed directly to teachers seeking employment abroad. The 800-teacher figure was presented by the FTA as an indicator of mounting retention problems.
As its remedy, the association urged an urgent amendment to Chapter 2, Section 41 of the Constitution to permit physical discipline as a corrective measure in schools. Manumanunitoga also called for a review of the “Rights of Children” framework, saying it should better reflect cultural practices and reinforce parental authority. “So, it’s going to be the child who takes over our society instead of the parents,” he told the commission. “The rights of the child do not override the rights of the parent.”
The FTA argued the abolition of corporal punishment in schools was implemented too hastily and recommended that any corrective behavioural measures, if reintroduced, be administered solely by school heads rather than by individual teachers. The association framed the change as necessary to restore order and keep experienced teachers in the profession.
The submission is the latest development in a contentious, ongoing debate. Earlier coverage recorded strong opposition from child protection groups. In October, Save the Children Fiji’s chief executive Shairana Ali warned that calls to reinstate corporal punishment risk violating the law and children's rights, calling such measures “illegal, unconstitutional, and ultimately harmful” to children. Legal and educational experts at past forums have also urged investment in non-violent classroom management techniques and improved teacher training rather than a return to physical discipline.
The Constitution Review Commission has not yet indicated how it will treat the FTA’s proposal amid competing submissions. The association’s presentation is likely to reignite debate among parents, educators, child welfare organisations and legal experts about the balance between parental authority, children’s rights and safe, effective methods for maintaining discipline in schools — and whether policy changes are the right response to the reported exodus of teachers.