Pupil rushed to hospital after beating at school
MBABANE – A nine-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after he was heavily beaten by a teacher.
The incident took place last Friday at Ezulwini. Internal sources revealed that the nine-year-old boy was among a number of pupils who were victims of the teacher in the school. Some parents said their children hated school because of the beatings they endured daily from two teachers in the school. The two teach different subjects. The angry parents said they asked the school head teacher to engage the teachers, but they were not seeing any improvement. The parents and guardians also revealed that their children told them that the teachers beat them over eight strokes, inflicting injuries on them.
Banned
Worth noting, government banned corporal punishment in schools. Corporal punishment is described as physical punishment which could be in the form of caning or flogging. According to the international children’s right group, corporal punishment is the most widespread form of violence against children.
The country’s Education Sector Policy of 2011 protects children against corporal punishment. However, the policy does not explicitly prohibit corporal punishment but, instead, aims to promote a culture of positive discipline. Meanwhile, the constitution of the country which was signed in 2005 under Section 29(2) states that a child shall not be subjected to abuse or torture or other cruel inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment, subject to lawful and moderate chastisement for purposes of correction. The Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018 also criminalised the beating of children.
On top of the heavy beatings, the parents said the teacher also demanded money from the pupils as bribe for not taking corporal punishment.
“Our children pay E1 to E2 to the teacher if they do not want to be beaten,” said one of the parents. Further, the parents said those who did not have money ended up bringing fruits to the teacher.
“During mango and avocado seasons, you will see our children carrying mangoes and avocados to school, not for themselves but for the teachers. Basically, they bribe the teachers with the fruits or use the fruit to escape the beatings,” said another parent.
One of the parents threatened to take the matter into his own hands.
It was alleged that two weeks ago, a Grade VII pupil sustained fractures on the arm after she was beaten by the teacher.
Last Friday, according to the parent, Grade IV learners were severely punished until one of them, the nine-year-old boy, ended up in hospital for the injuries. The boy was beaten all over the body which led to bruises that were showing on the back of his body. Adding to that, the boy was bleeding through the nose, allegedly due to the injuries he sustained from the beatings. The parent said she was shocked to see the bruises on her son’s body. She said some were fresh while others were days old. When she asked him about the source of the bruises, the child said they were from a beating he endured from the teacher. She said her child was also bleeding through the nose. The parent said she spoke to the head teacher but did not see the urgency she was expecting.
“The head teacher said I should come to school on Monday,” she said.
The school committee spoke to the head teacher, which they believed the teachers were urged to stop beating children.
Since she wanted to save her child’s life, she rushed him to Mbabane Government Hospital. The parent said the staff refused to treat the child without a police report. It was then that she went back to Satellite Police Post to file a police report which she later produced in hospital.
Meeting
The parent said on Monday, there was a meeting between her, the head teacher and a member of the school committee. The aim of the meeting was to address the beating of her child. She said she was disappointed by the manner at which the teacher acted. She said he did not give a proper explanation, but apologised without showing any remorse for his act.
The school’s head teacher, who preferred to be called Mrs Dlamini, when asked by the Times to comment on the matter, questioned the rationale of the parents who had approached the media. She asked what position the media was going to play on the issuel. Dlamini said she had no clue what the parents wanted because as far as she knew the issue was discussed at the school. “Ngicela kubuta kutophuma ephepheni yini loku, batsi yenta njani phona wena ngalokwenteka esikolweni sami,” she said.
Dlamini then hung up without answering all the questions which included the steps that were taken by the school in addressing the matter.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that an assault case was opened at Lobamba Police station of a beaten up nine-year-old boy.
Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training Bhekithemba Gama urged parents to report the matter to the Regional Education Office (REO). He said the REO would then send an inspector who would conduct an investigation in the school and then file a report to the ministry.
“The ministry’s action will be based on the report of the REO’s office,”he said.
Comment
Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati preferred not to comment on the matter. He said nothing had been reported through their structures hence he opted to reserve his comments until something was reported.
Meanwhile, the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Communications Officer, Sakhile Dlamini, frowned on the violence that was allegedly perpetuated by the educators. Dlamini said violence was not acceptable in any form and setting. She said a school was supposed to be a place of safety. Dlamini highlighted that the country banned corporal punishment.
“The education policy states very well that a child can be punished by the head teacher, and even if that is the case, the head teacher is not expected to be heavy on the beatings,” she said.