It seems everyone who has heard about the brawl that happened at the Suva Bus Stand last week now has an opinion.
It happened between girls in uniform and a video of the fight, which allegedly features a primary aged girl being attacked by several high school students of a school in Suva, has gone viral on social media.
Minister for Education Premila Kumar says the brawl is not part of the ministry’s responsibilities.
The police, she said, were there to take care of any brawl outside the school environment.
“I will put it this way; it’s not a Ministry of Education’s responsibility.
“It is everyone’s responsibility, this is where we expect parents to step in and guide their children, the teachers to guide their children, even possible on awareness raising, if the media can do that it will also help.”
As police continue investigations into the events that have made the news, there will no doubt be many questions asked. It is unfortunate that our children are fighting in public.
It is unfortunate that such an event has gone viral on social media.
This is part of the times though. People have smart phones equipped with good cameras and access to the internet.
It means such actions can be beamed across the world in record time, sometimes even going live.
What has allegedly happened is a sad reflection of who we are right now.
We will continue to wonder whether it is reflection of a fragmented society.
We will wonder about family values, traditional and cultural considerations and how our children are taught on all fronts, from the base at home, to the classroom.
We wonder about lessons and appreciation of the rule of law, standards, and the reflection of their actions on their upbringing.
We wonder about influence, and how that is filtered through via the various mediums now available to most of our children.
Are we as parents and guardians doing enough to guide our children through the many challenges they now face as youngsters growing up in this new millennium?
The internet and social media are powerful platforms that can change the mindset.
Peer pressure and neglect perhaps, are critical issues we must consider as well.
We wonder about whether there is consideration given to how their upbringing is addressed given the many changes we have noticed over the years in our country.
Are we doing enough to engage our children in critical thinking, giving them some perspective in life?
Are we leading by example? Are we good influencers? We live and we learn! We have a major challenge to contend with right now.
There are far too many issues around us all that are certainly not conducive to having a good base for our children.
We can only hope our children are not embracing bad behaviour, thinking nothing of it.
Let’s all consider our responsibilities and address that first, right now, from the top of the chain to the bottom!
