Advocating corporal punishment is unlawful and dangerous, warns Save the Children

Save the Children Fiji has strongly condemned recent calls by members of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools, warning that such actions are not only unlawful but amount to serious breaches of child safeguarding.

The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Shairana Ali, said public suggestions such as bringing back leather belts into classrooms were deeply concerning and in direct violation of Fiji’s laws and international commitments.

“Anyone who publicly calls for children to be beaten with leather belts in schools is not only violating our laws, but also committing a serious child safeguarding breach,” Ms Ali said.
“Such remarks risk inciting violence against children and carry legal and professional liability. Let me be clear—this is not a debate. Corporal punishment is banned. Full stop.”

Ms Ali said corporal punishment is explicitly illegal in all schools under Fijian law and court rulings, and is also unconstitutional, breaching children’s rights to protection from cruel or degrading treatment under Section 41 of the Fiji Constitution.

Fiji, she added, is also a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obligates the government to protect children from all forms of violence, including corporal punishment.

“We cannot go backwards. Violence is not discipline. The law is clear, and so is the science that corporal punishment harms children physically, emotionally, and developmentally,” she said.

A recent MICS Plus 2024–2025 survey found that 68 percent of Fijian children aged 1–14 experienced violent forms of discipline, including psychological aggression and physical punishment. The data showed rural and iTaukei children were disproportionately affected.

“While these survey results show entrenched attitudes toward corporal punishment, they also highlight how much work is needed to educate and shift mindsets,” Ali said.
“No child should grow up in fear or pain. We need to move decisively towards non-violent, respectful discipline.”

Ali reaffirmed Save the Children Fiji’s commitment to working with parents, schools, faith-based organisations, and government ministries to promote positive discipline and parenting.

“We stand ready to work with any school, village, or faith-based organisation that wants to learn how to discipline children without violence,” she said.
“Let’s raise children with respect, not fear.”

The statement concluded with the reminder: “Protect Our Children — Speak Up, Reach Out, Report.”