27 Oct 2022

Fiji teachers sacked for disciplining unruly students

8:45 am on 27 October 2022

Five teachers from a school in Gau Island, Fiji, have been sacked by the Education Ministry over a disciplinary case that has since been thrown out by a judge.

Fijian students are now learning from home due to Covid-19.

Fijian students are now learning from home due to Covid-19. Photo: Supplied/Ignite4Change

FijiVillage reports the ministry continues to remain silent on the matter.

The teachers say the Education Ministry dishonourably discharged or terminated their contracts following a disciplinary incident earlier this month.

The teachers claim indiscipline within the school has reached an all-time high.

Reported cases include marijuana seeds being found on a student, boys entering and sleeping in the girls' hostel, and students openly swearing at teachers or yelling out for teachers to go back to their villages.

There have also been alleged cases of swear words written on toilet walls aimed at teachers, a bucket of home brew found in the hostel, and students openly smoking suki (tobacco) during school hours on the school premises.

The teachers also claimed the students were disciplined with three strokes before a parent reported the incident which led them to court.

They said that based on the severity of the students' behaviour, the judge dismissed the case.