What to do if your child is physically harmed at school

IF YOUR child returned home from school with tear-stained cheeks and red welts across the thighs, your first instinct might be to phone the school and demand an explanation.

But what if a member of staff inflicted the harm in the first place? What’s the protocol then?

Spanking, applying a ruler to the knuckles or even a slap of the wrist are examples of corporal punishment. In the school context, such acts are defined as the intentional exertion of physical force against a pupil by a teacher, or another supervising adult, in response to undesired behaviour.

For the past 22 years, any form of such punishment has been banned by the South African Schools Act section 10 (1), which states that no person may administer corporal punishment at school by a supervising adult?

The South African Council for Educators (Sace) sets out how to lodge a complaint against a teacher on its website (www.sace.org.za):

It is preferred that all complaints be made in writing and signed by the complainant, his or her legal representative, union representative or any other person lodging the complaint on behalf of the complainant.

The complaint can be faxed, emailed, posted or hand-delivered.

Complaints can also be lodged via telephone.

A complaint must be comprehensive and must contain all the relevant dates and facts, supported by relevant documentation and other evidence.

The following information must be included:

The complainant’s name, mail delivery address and contact telephone numbers.

If the complainant is representing a victim, the name of the victim must be included.

Should a complainant wish to remain anonymous, the following information must be supplied in full: the name of the person or people against whom the complaint is lodged; the name of the school if a pupil is involved, the name of the pupil, the school and the grade the pupil is in.

The full particulars regarding the complaint (explaining what happened) with the date of the incident must be clear.

A letter of complaint should be forwarded to: The Chief Executive Officer, South African Council for Educators, Private Bag X127, Centurion 0046.

The letter can be hand-delivered to the Chief Executive Officer, South African Council for Educators, 240 Lenchen Avenue, Centurion 0046, or emailed to ethics@sace.org.za