LIMPOPO – A video of an educator hitting learners at a high school in the Marishane Village in Sekhukune is gaining momentum on social media.
Read more: “Corporal punishment cannot be tolerated” – Education MEC on viral video
The video, which was originally posted on Twitter earlier today, shows learners standing in a line and the teacher seemingly hits them when they walk past him.
He is seen hitting both male and female learners and learners can be heard laughing in the background.
The Limpopo Department of Education responded to the video saying they were made aware of the video on Wednesday morning and have dispatched a team to attend to the matter for appropriate action to be taken. “We do not tolerate anyone who still administers corporal punishment in our schools,” the department said.
Despite the department’s statement, Twitter users have responded by saying that the video does not depict abuse, but rather, “discipline”.
“I see a lot of people here acting like they have never been school kids. Judging from the outside, I think no teacher can just slap learners absent reason! In my own opinion (as much as it looks inappropriate) is the only way to get the best out of school learners,” another user wrote.
Equal Education, a movement striving for quality and equality in South Africa’s education system, tweeted the MEC for Education in Limpopo, Polly Boshielo, asking whether she had seen the video and what action would be taken.
Boshielo is yet to respond.
