Pupils still at the mercy of school cane
Experts say corporal punishment can turn children into violent ‘monsters’
A 12-YEAR-OLD North West pupil was hit so hard by his teacher that he fell and lost his hearing. His misdemeanour? Wearing takkies to school because his school shoes were broken.
A friend who intervened was beaten until his jaw broke.
A six-year-old Grade R pupil in Mpumalanga is terrified of school after reportedly being slapped by a teacher with such force that his eardrum burst.
In March, Johannesburg Grade 10 pupil Sizwe Kubheka died after a teacher allegedly beat him with a belt for making a noise in class.
Punching, slapping, rape and even murder by teachers are some horrors reported in schools.
Despite being outlawed 17 years ago, corporal punishment in classrooms is rife, often with the blessing of parents.
According to a report to be released at a Human Rights Commission conference at the end of the month, about 2.2 million children reported experiencing corporal punishment in 2012.
The report concludes that the “ongoing, and in some provinces increasing, incidence of corporal punishment” is the result of its support from teachers and parents. Some claim it is necessary to control unruly pupils in overcrowded classrooms.
The report was commissioned by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Child Law.
It reveals that corporal punishment is often less about discipline and more about “intimidation” and sometimes “sadistic abuse”.
Experts say that corporal punishment could turn children into violent “monsters”.
According to the report: “Rather than acting as a deterrent, corporal punishment breeds aggression and hostility.”
It can also create low self-esteem and lead to falling grades and children missing school or dropping out.
Despite the seriousness of the matter, it seems other challenges plaguing the education system have taken priority over the issue of corporal punishment.
The Department of Basic Education has no database on corporal punishment complaints and the South African Council for Educators said it prioritised sexual abuse complaints over corporal punishment.
Research indicates that many cases of corporal punishment go unreported. Even if incidents are reported, many go unpunished.
Children often keep quiet out of fear of victimisation and intimidation.
The power imbalance between pupils and teachers extends to disciplinary proceedings: teachers usually have the benefit of trade union representatives and children have no representation.
The report notes that complainants, witnesses and even those chairing the investigations have been intimidated.
It says there are “very different and subjective approaches to dealing with corporal punishment cases” and often “the sanction of educators appears to be lenient”.
Some parents appear reluctant to see teachers brought to book. In the case of the six-year-old whose eardrum burst, the child’s family did not want to pursue the matter after the teacher and principal apologised.
In the case of the 12-year-old North West boy who lost his hearing and whose friend’s jaw was broken, the teacher was demoted. The boys’ families would not lay criminal charges.
Tim Gordon, chief executive of The Governing Body Foundation, which represents about 700 public schools, is cited in the report as saying corporal punishment was entrenched in some schools. This was the case in many white conservative schools and those in poorer black and rural schools.
Gordon said in an interview that other contributing factors were class control and children being more vocal.
“Teachers are finding it more difficult to retain order in some classes . . . Young people are much more forthright in their views and are more open in expressing their opinions.”
Experts agree that discipline is necessary, but they say corporal punishment does more harm than good.
“Children learn by what they live,” said Shaheda Omar of the Teddy Bear Clinic. “When you hit a child, you are teaching that child to become a hitter. The psychological situation is that we are creating a monster by teaching children to become aggressive and to problem-solve in that fashion.”
Carol Bower, an independent consultant on children’s rights, said corporal punishment increased “a propensity for the child to be more violent”.
“The evidence is overwhelming that corporal punishment is damaging in the long run.”