Fiji Corrections warns: Without guidance, students end up behind bars

The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) has warned that without proper guidance, many struggling students risk ending up in prison.

That was the hard-hitting message delivered by FCS Director of Rehabilitation, Superintendent Isireli Dausiga, as he addressed part time students mentors (PTSMs) from around the country during a two-day capacity building programme last week.

“You are mothers and father first – then Mentors later. You need to treat them like your own sons and daughters because in many cases they do not have that at home,” Superintendent Dausiga told the mentors, who work with primary and secondary school students.

“You and I are in the business of saving lives, I do not know if you ever looked at it that way,” he added.

“You fill in the gaps and provide that cushion for young adults growing up in a Fiji that has changed rapidly in the last 15 years.”

Superintendent Dausiga, himself a former mentor, said the role of PTSMs is often overlooked but can be life-changing for children from challenging backgrounds.
“The work of mentoring in schools is something many take for granted but is an effective way to reach out to children who come from challenging backgrounds and basically give them hope and open new doors for them,” he said.

“As a former mentor myself, I used to move in between various schools in red zone areas, but today I have been recalled by the Service to take care of the exit points of where young men and women enter as a consequence of having no one to guide them through life.”

The program brought together FCS, the Fiji Police Force, and PTSMs to share experiences, discuss challenges, and chart the way forward in strengthening partnerships between schools and communities.

Retired high school teacher and former national volleyball coach turned mentor, Jale Samuwai, said the lessons shared would help them better serve students.
“I think now we are well equipped with this new found information to be able to do our work better in schools,” he said.

“When we cannot identify the needs of problematic students in schools they often end up in prison, so we all have to work together and such forums as these are so very important. We thank the Substance Abuse Advisory Council and Ministry of Education for backing such a programme.”

The Fiji Corrections Service said it will continue to strengthen ties with schools and stakeholders, emphasising that mentoring remains one of the most effective ways to keep young people away from crime — and out of prison.