WE must not allow the rod to become the parent, according to lawyer Sainiana Radrodro.
Speaking at the public consultation on the proposed Education Bill in Lautoka yesterday, she said it was important for teachers to consider this.
“We cannot change and get the rod to become the parent or the guardian,” she said.
“Again, it takes a community to raise a child, and we must be able to work together and find better alternatives of discipline
“And I must congratulate the Education Ministry for coming up with a number of initiatives — they have introduced counselling centres.
“With our children who consistently breach the rules in schools, they can be taken to those counselling centres for guidance and assistance in terms of counselling.”
Ms Radrodro said schools now had psychiatrists and counsellors and have introduced chaplains back in the school system.
“And this is very important,” she added.
“I think for me personally to reintroduce religious teachings back into schools and have this as the foundation of bringing up our children.
“We bring back that level of discipline, love, community work, unity that is somehow missing in recent years, we need to be able to bring that back.”
