Minister Ditoka backs parental authority in child discipline
The Foreign Affairs Minister says constitutional changes must balance individual rights with parents’ responsibility to raise children.
Friday 23 October 2026 | 09:30
Updated 23 October 2026 | 12:46 FJT
Minister for Foreign Affairs Sakiasi Ditoka at Korovou in Tailevu on October 21, 2026.
Photo: DEPTFO News
Parents must retain the authority to teach their children right from wrong as Fiji considers changes to its Constitution, says Minister for Foreign Affairs Sakiasi Ditoka.
Speaking during public submissions on proposed amendments to the 2013 Constitution in Korovou, Tailevu yesterday, Mr Ditoka said modernising laws and protecting individual rights should not weaken the role of parents in raising their children.
“For generations, our communities have understood that children must be raised with love, but also with discipline, correction and a proper appreciation of the consequences of their actions,” he said.
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Mr Ditoka said parents had a fundamental responsibility to guide their children and ensure they understood the difference between right and wrong.
He warned that efforts to strengthen individual rights must be balanced against parental authority and families’ responsibility to raise children.
His submission comes amid debate over proposed constitutional recognition of corporal punishment, an issue that has drawn differing views on how children should be disciplined and protected.
Mr Ditoka acknowledged considerable disagreement across the country over child discipline and the place of traditional values in modern Fiji.
He said the debate was not only about changing laws but also about the kind of society Fiji wanted to build for future generations.
Mr Ditoka also referred to his connection with the people of Tailevu North, saying their communities and traditions had shaped his understanding of his responsibilities.
Although Fiji’s electoral system does not use geographical constituencies, he said he felt a particular responsibility towards the people of the area.
He said his views were informed by both his connection to those communities and his wider concern for Fiji’s future.
The proposed constitutional amendments have prompted public submissions from communities and individuals expressing their views on changes to the country’s supreme law.
