A primary school student in Nadi has become the youngest known victim in a troubling trend of trading explicit images and videos for money and other benefits. This alarming revelation was made by Alice Fong, the Divisional Counsellor for the Ministry of Education in the Western Division, during a women’s conference on Saturday at the Gurukul Primary School in Lautoka.
Fong’s comments were aimed at raising awareness among parents about their vital role in safeguarding children from harmful influences present on mobile devices. She stressed the need for vigilant monitoring of children’s social media activities, noting that the challenges faced by parents today have significantly increased compared to previous decades.
Fong described a concerning new social media app called Telegram, where young users share images and videos in exchange for goods such as cash, phone credit, or even new phones. She highlighted the case of a primary school student in Nadi who was involved in this activity, prompting intervention from both the ministry and law enforcement.
Additionally, she expressed concerns about young girls not attending school, choosing instead to go on joy rides. Many of these students, primarily in Year 6 and Year 7, have been found taking bus trips from Nadi to Lautoka instead of going to their classes.
Fong urged parents to remain alert and engage their children in conversations about the dangers of such behaviors. She emphasized the importance of parental guidance and being proactive role models for children.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro responded to these revelations, expressing deep concern about the use of explicit images by students. He reiterated that education is a collective responsibility that involves not just the Ministry of Education, but also parents and the community, stressing the need to monitor children’s activities.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Sakeo Ganivatu also weighed in, urging parents to take their responsibilities seriously, particularly regarding the provision of mobile phones to their children. He noted that the formative years of a child’s life are crucial for development and suggested that parents should invest time engaging with their children rather than leaving them unsupervised.
By reinforcing the importance of parental involvement, Ganivatu highlighted that just a few minutes of quality time can make a significant difference in a child’s life, encouraging parents to take an active role in their upbringing to prevent issues that arise from neglect.