The return of corporal punishment: FTA – FBC News

The Fiji Teachers’ Association is calling for the reintroduction of corporal punishment as a means of controlling student behavior and promoting discipline in schools.

FTA president Netani Druavesi emphasizes that current disciplinary measures cannot effectively address students’ attitudes, which he believes are influenced by the growing awareness of children’s rights.

Druavesi expresses concern about what he describes as the limited power teachers have in the classroom, attributing it to limits on disciplinary actions such as corporal punishment.

He says that children speak up because they are aware of their rights.

“This is a way to check whether teachers, teachers, we teachers, are achieving results. Disciplined teaching, disciplined learning. When our hands are tied, there is no corporal punishment – the child can put the teacher in jail. Even a child can put its parents in jail. Well, kids know that.”

The FTA president believes that restoring corporal punishment would strengthen a disciplined learning environment, enabling teachers to provide high-quality education while maintaining order and respect in schools.

It further emphasizes that teachers need the power to effectively control behavior in the classroom without the risk of legal repercussions from students or their families.