Shocking statistics were revealed by the Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tubuna, where he highlighted that in Nadi alone, around 100 students were found to have been offering themselves for sex on the Telegram app in return for money, with the youngest being in primary school.
While speaking to students of Dilkusha Boys School during their school bazaar, Tubuna says earlier this year, the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council stated that there were 3,500 reported cases of drug use in schools across Fiji, totalling around 9,000 cases in the last three years.
He says that mainstream media has been flooded with news about the social issues affecting our children and our schools, with predators taking every possible opportunity to penetrate the foundation of our structures by targeting our children.
The Assistant Minister stressed that parents and guardians must acknowledge these threats and prepare children for the realities of this world.
He added that many of these topics are normally considered “taboo” and are left out during family talanoa sessions.
Tubuna says our children need to be taught to reason things out and to know the “why” behind the decisions that they make so that they can make wise decisions.
The Assistant Minister thanked the school management behind this fundraising drive with the aim of raising funds for the construction of a multipurpose hall for the school.
He says this project is a classic example of self-reliance, noting that it is self-initiated and not dependent on the government’s support to start up this project.
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