LIMPOPO – “Limpopo MEC for education, Ishmael Kgetjepe, must urgently take action against teachers who still use corporal punishment in our schools, and to fire those guilty of beating,” says Jacques Smalle, DA Limpopo leader.
According to a DA press release the party tabled a motion to implement more stringent vetting mechanisms for teachers in the Limpopo legislature today.
This was after a six-year-old boy from Mannyetha Primary School in Apel was allegedly beaten by his teacher with a stick after failing to give the correct answer.
The gr. 1 learner had to spend two weeks in hospital due to internal bleeding and a operation of his hand. As a result he missed the mid-year examinations and his parents were forced to take him to another school as he was too scared to face this teacher. Despite the incident the department failed to suspend the teacher or to initiate immediate disciplinary process against her says Smalle.
“Legislature must urgently discuss this horrible incident, and must move for the MEC to take action,” says Smalle.
Apart from this incident, the DA says they recently witnessed another teacher at Kopano High School in Lebowakgomo assaulting a learner, during an oversight visit.
According to Smalle the teacher beat a learner on his head with her bare hands becasue he was making a noise. Click here to see the video.
The DA believes these incidents are not isolated and are happening in many schools across the province.
Corporal punishment is a violation of children’s rights and it was abolished in September 1997.
The DA is also formulating a complaint to the Human Rights Commission to probe all incidents of corporal punishment in Limpopo schools.
