KABOKWENI – Barely a week after Cefups Academy was served with a notice to close its doors next year, an outcry regarding corporal punishment emerged from the townships.
This time around it was Khutsalani Secondary School where learners spoke out that they could no longer cope with the corporal punishment they alleged was meted out at their school.
Speaking to Mpumalanga News, one of the learners who requested to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said,
“We are no longer coping with the corporal punishment. We do understand that when a learner does something wrong, he or she must be disciplined. What we experience from other teachers, is a nightmare. They beat us very badly. Even when you try to apologise, they don’t listen to your side of the story. It’s totally wrong and what is even worse, is when they punish you in front of your classmates, you feel humiliated.”
Meanwhile, the Congress of South African Students (Cosas), also confirmed that incidents of corporal punishment are very high in some of the schools in the province, especially at high schools.
The provincial chairperson, Mr Vusi Khumalo said,
“We are aware of what’s going on in Khutsalani and the problem is not only there, but it is taking place in many other schools. We are not going to tolerate it. If it means that we have to openly protest in the streets, we are ready to do that.
“We have realised that the Department of Education is not taking the issue seriously. Even the previous incidents at Mayibuye High School where a teacher assaulted a learner after she accused her of having an affair with her husband, shows that learners are still facing a challenge of corporal punishment,” he added.
Khumalo alluded that Cosas is currently busy with protest marches during which it hands over memorandums to circuit managers to show that it wants its voice to be heard.
“We are going to have marches in all the districts, handing over memorandums. We started in eMalahleni after we had received several complaints on this matter,” he said.
He said another problem they have encountered was teachers who were confiscating cellphones on which pupils have taken videos of corporal punishment.
The South African Schools Act No 86 of 1996, states anyone found inflicting it shall be guilty of misconduct.
The spokesperson for education Mr Jasper Zwane said,
“It is very disturbing, therefore, to note that there are still teachers or schools who are still using this unlawful practice as a means to instil discipline besides the fact that they have been warned on several occasions to desist from this.
“The department will not hesitate to bring to book those who do this in the event that information to that effect is brought forward,” he said.
The department urged parents and community members to report any incident of corporal punishment to school principals, nearest circuit offices or to its toll-free number on 0800-203-116 during office hours.
