Corporal Punishment is Unlawful
“Ministry of Education and schools shall take all appropriate measures to
protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation.”
The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission unequivocally
condemns the recent call by the Fijian Teachers Association to reintroduce
corporal punishment in schools.
The infliction of corporal punishment is unconstitutional and unlawful. The
reintroduction of such practices directly opposes the rights of children to a safe,
supportive, and violence-free educational environment.
Corporal punishment is widely recognized as a form of violence and degrading
treatment, infringing on children’s inherent dignity and contravening the rights
enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji.
