Bula
SHAPE up or ship out is the warning Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew is issuing officers who are involved in dealing with illicit drugs. This after security footage caught an officer in uniform allegedly buying the illicit substance from drug peddlers. That’s the big news on the front page of The Fiji Times for Monday, November 4.
We also have a story about Fiji Airways. The airline is among only 40 airlines globally to achieve an APEX Five Star Major Airline award. The award makes Fiji Airways to be within the top 7 per cent of airlines globally. * More on Page 13
Synopsis
Child neglect a concern…
WOMEN, Children and Social Protection Minister Lynda Tabuya makes an important point about child neglect that a lot of Fijians may find relevant.
She has expressed concern about what she says is the rise in cases of child neglect in Fiji.
She is urging parents and the community to take greater responsibility for their children.
There is a need for more active engagement in the lives of children, she insists, and people need to start realising that.
That starts with the family unit! It should, she insists, embrace and reflect on the responsibilities of parents.
It is not the responsibility of the Government solely, to deal with this, she said.
She sees the Government and other stakeholders as support mechanisms or platforms that can assist parents to play their role.
Ms Tabuya noted that some parents spend excessive time on their phones, which detracts from meaningful interactions with their children.
“The children would like to see that change, where the parents engage with them more meaningfully.”
Let’s face it, this is the norm in many homes now around the country.
Children are given mobile phones as gifts during birthdays and at Christmas for instance. Young children are left to themselves with mobile phones and data in many homes as their parents engage themselves in social gatherings for instance.
It is happening! This is the reality of our lives now.
Our challenge is to find the balance that will be good for us as parents and for our children.
It is about embracing technology, whilst understanding and appreciating our roles as parents. It is about placing value on nurturing our children to be the best they can be when they grow up.
In the face of all this, we wonder why 5726 students dropped out of school before completing Year 10 between 2019 and 2023.
When children feel neglected, their motivation to succeed can be impacted, leading to disengagement from their education.
Ms Tabuya’s insights into the rising cases of child neglect should be a wakeup call for us all. Surely we will need to try and understand this issue better and work out ways to address the major challenges they provide us. There are generations of Fijians who grew up without mobile phones. They did not need mobile phones at school to call their parents for instance, because that could be done at the school office. As we reflect on things like this, we also must accept that times have changed and technological advancements are designed to make our lives easier and more manageable, whatever that means!
Perhaps we can start with a few little things though.
Let’s commit to make meaningful changes in our interactions with our children. How about keeping the mobile phone off the breakfast table for starters? How about not answering calls at dinner time? Let’s be more interactive. Let’s be more engaged! Let’s show them some love if we haven’t been doing that! Let’s not take things for granted! Let’s be catalysts for change!
