8 Jul 2010

Parent of a Fiji student punished by a teacher says students provoked teacher

10:03 am on 8 July 2010

A parent of one of 26 students who were struck with a hose pipe at a rural Fiji school says they provoked the teacher who issued the corporal punishment.

Sekope Kacimaiwai, from Volivoli school in Saqani, Vanua Levu, has pleaded guilty to five counts of assault causing occasional bodily harm and 21 counts of common assault.

The father, who wishes to remain anonymous says he's unhappy about the teacher's actions but says his daughter admits the students are partly to blame.

"I talked to her and she said that it was their fault. They were supposed to be studying and they were running around. But actually my daughter was not hurt. But there were others that were hurt."

He says it's normal for rural school teachers to hit students but not to the extent where they inflict injuries.