By Tim Binnall
The Education Minister of Fiji recently issued a rather strange word of warning regarding students playing a Ouija-like divination game known as 'Charlie Charlie.' According to a local media report, the odd proclamation came about last week following an incident wherein ten children from the Veiuto Primary School were sent home after they were caught partaking in the practice, which involves using a pair of balanced pencils to purportedly summon spirits and communicate with them. While some might see the divination game as a bit of lighthearted fun, particularly around this time of year, 'Charlie Charlie' has actually been banned in Fijian schools and so officials in the country took the matter very seriously.
In response to the incident last week, which also saw some of the students pretending to be possessed by the spirits that they 'summoned,' Educator Minister Premila Kumar cautioned pupils and parents that anyone caught playing 'Charlie Charlie' would be sent home immediately and face subsequent disciplinary action. "We need to protect other children," she said, "and we don't want to create fear in our young ones" and render them too frightened to go to school. In a testament to how the divination game is perceived in the country, Kumar indicated that counselors would be available to students traumatized by the event and that "church ministers are involved, helping the school to deal with such matters."
The banning of 'Charlie Charlie' came about in 2015 when a spate of incidents at various schools throughout Fiji sparked something of a panic with the media decrying the "demonic" divination game and one government official declaring that it is "associated with cult activities." The furor was so intense that three teachers were even accused of forcing students to partake in the practice, though they were later cleared of any criminal charges. In light of the hysteria seven years ago, it is understandable why Kumar would try to get ahead of another 'Charlie Charlie' outbreak, though it's also rather predictable that students would be drawn to the forbidden game they have been told not to play.