South african schools abstract this article examines the role of discipline and punishment in south african schools and seekto interrogate the underlying s power relations that guide teaching and learning in south africa. It followed the constitutional courts 1995 decision in the case of s v williams and others that caning of juveniles was unconstitutional. Unicef south africa media home children have a right. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of the use of corporal punishment. Despite it being banned since 1997 some teachers in south african schools continue to dish out corporal punishment often for everyday offences it said in a statement. The issue of corporal punishment at schools is by no means free of controversy. The south african education system historically has used corporal punishment to maintain discipline. Informed sources think it could well be zimbabwe, where school corporal punishment is lawful and normal. Sabinet corporal punishment in south african schools. Corporal punishment and the achievement of educational. Although the ruling in s v williams was limited to the corporal punishment of males under the age of. With the ending of apartheid, a human rights culture was. This story of this learner is shocking but it isnt unusual.
In view of the recognition of the rights of the child and the outlawing of corporal punishment described above, teachers in south african schools have been obliged to find alternative. The south african council of educators sace received 245 reports of corporal punishment against teachers in the 20142015 financial year, compared to 202 reported cases in 202014. In most schools, the head principal or the deputy head were permitted to use corporal punishment and required to record the incident in a log book shumba, 2003. Department of educations office of civil rights does not collect discipline data from private schools. In 1996, the south african schools act, under section 10, banned the use of corporal punishment in schools. The number of complaints relating to corporal punishment in south african schools has increased in the past two years, despite being outlawed. Aetiology and challenges almon shumba, elias mpofu, regis chireshe and john mapfumo abstract. Lately, incidences of the illegal administering of corporal punishment have been reported across various provinces. In 1997, the abolition of corporal punishment act abolished the former practice, and the south african schools act of 1996 outlawed corporal punishment in schools. It is better if children do as you ask because they understand the reasons why, rather than because they are frightened or bullied.
Ending corporal punishment of children in south africa. The south african council of educators sace has called on educators to refrain from applying corporal punishment on learners. Previous researches pointed out that adults parents and teachers who were physically punished in their childhood are more supportive of corporal punishment than those who were not subjected to physical punishment hyman, 1988. High court strikes down corporal punishment defence for. You will also receive two comics about alternatives to corporal punishment and a dvd produced by the legal assistance centre called a betta way.
But this legislative interventiondid not end the use of corporal punishment in schools. Corporal punishment in schools was outlawed by section 101 of the south african schools act 84 of 1996 the act. Government gazette staatskoerant south african government. The predominant christian national education policy affirmed the. Prior to 1994, the heavy reliance on corporal punishment in south african schools to maintain discipline maphosa and shumba, 2010 resulted in this becoming an accepted and integral part of schooling for many teachers morrell, 2001. Despite this, statistics from the 2011 general household survey statssa. Since 1996 newspapers hav e routinely reported that corporal pun. The south african education system historically has used corporalpunishment to maintain discipline. List of books and articles about corporal punishment. At one extreme it includes the death penalty see capital punishment, but the term usually refers to punishments like flogging, caning, mutilation, and branding. Sahrc concerned about corporal punishment in schools.
Section 10 of the south african schools a ct 1996 re flected this finding by banning c orporal punishment in schools. Pdf corporal punishment and masculinity in south african. For further information and to download or order this and other publications. Corporal punishment continues to be practiced at unacceptable rates in egyptian schools, at the same time that violence rates are rising. Reconsidering the role of power, punishment and discipline. Twenty years on, corporate punishment in schools is alive and well despite it being banned since 1997, many teachers in south african schools continue to. Basic education rights handbook education rights in south africa chapter 19. Corporal punishment has huge consequences voice of the cape. Basic conditions of employment act, 1997 popular summary. Corporal punishment has become a very controversial issue to eliminate in schools locally and internationally.
According to south african schools act, 1996 act no. According to child rights activist carol bower, parents should lay charges against teachers who use corporal punishment as a means of discipline. Corporal punishment in south african schools african journals. Less than 20 countries worldwide have adopted legislation to prohibit corporal punishment of. Here are various ways learners ought to be disciplined in. It deconstruct the preoccupation with discipline, power s and punishment south african schools in terms of the theoin. Use good words to describe children childnaming, badmouthing and humiliation as forms of punishment or in the heat of an. Corporal punishment has previously been outlawed as a punishment in the justice system or in schools, but courts have scrupulously steered clear of pronouncing on smacking within the family. According mwananchi news paper of june 17 2014 almost two and a half millions of. Corporal punishment in the south african context historical overview of corporal punishment in south africa prior to 1994, corporal punishment was frequently relied on to ensure discipline in south african schools. Although corporal punishment is illegal in terms of the south african schools act, 501 allegations of corporal punishment were reported to the western cape education department wced during the. The aim of the current study was to determine the occurrence and effects of corporal punishment in the south african environment. Special attention was paid to themes that were derived from the literature.
School corporal punishment is inflicting deliberate physical and emotional pain discomfort as. Corporal punishment is also legal in private schools in 48 states, but the u. In india, the right of children to free and compulsory education act right to. Wittingly or unwittingly educators may be unaware that they are committing crimes under the guise of. Pinnoc k, 1997 to a situation where sch ools promote health and wellbeing. Severe corporal punishment still carried out at many sa. Criticism of its effects led, in 1996, to the banning of this form of punishment. During the apartheid era, corporal punishment was widely used as a sentence for juveniles in the justice system, and in schools as the primary method of discipline. Abolition of corporal punishment act, 1997 wikipedia. Of the public school population, 40,000or more than onethirdof those students who were subjected to corporal punishment were black. If you have received a copy of this training pack by email or you have not received the comics and dvd for some other reason, please feel free to contact the legal assistance centre.
Criticism of its effects led, in 1996,to the banning of this form of punishment. As in so many other countries in the world, many children in south africa suffer corporal punishment and other forms of humiliating and degrading punishment in the home, in the school and in different institutions. A study on the extent of the use of corporal punishments. The study concluded by finding that corporal punishment is a discipline practice that is powerfully entrenched in south africa.
Corporal punishment should be counterpoint allowed in. Morrell 2001, however, states that even after the banning of the use of corporal punishment in schools, educators still used it as a strategy to discipline learners. S act, 1996 7 ao application for rhe admission of a lamu to a public school must be made to lhe ducarion dtpartmolt in a manner determined by. Grahamstown highranking education officials meeting in port elizabeth have discussed alternative means of discipline in schools with corporal punishment constitutionally abolished by the south african schools act of 1996, a whole new approach to education in the country was in the process of being developed, said blade. The unpalatable truth is that 20 years since corporal punishment was abolished in south african schools, many teachers continue to dish it out, often for the most mundane of offences. Unicef calls attention to international and national legislation protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse and maltreatment. Twenty years on, corporate punishment in schools is ali. Disciplinary practices in schools and principles of.
These themes were immediate compliance, aggression. South africa has a number of laws that protect learners from corporal punishment and abuse. Due to increasing school truancy in south africa and other african countries like tanzania attention is highly needed to diminish the situation. Download fulltext pdf corporal punishment and masculinity in south african schools article pdf available in men and masculinities 42. It could alternatively be zambia or possibly south africa, in which case it is theoretically illegal. Corporal punishment in schools, south africa, apr 1998. In the case of christian education south africa v minister of education the. Corporal punishment in schools university of missouri. Schools are the only public, taxpayer funded institution that allows legal physical punishment. In this study we further argue that the fact that the atcp does not seem to work raises a fundamental question as to whether the. It poses a view that parenting attitudes in south africa largely stem from an authoritarian point of view.
This article offers an explanation for the ongoing use of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment in schools reflects a large gap between current education policy that bans corporal punishment and actual implementation of. South african schools act 84 of 1996 south african government. The abolition of corporal punishment act, 1997 act no. The department condemns, in the harshest possible terms, any subverted, reckless and irresponsible attempts by principals, teachers andor any support staff member to undermine the existing legislative framework prohibiting the use of corporal punishment in schools. Data collection was done in respect of the study specific objectives through data collection methods which include questionnaires and interviews. Below the age of ten, a student should be enlightened by love and care by the teachers, rather than being hit or pulled by. Cape argus, 1 april 1998 education chiefs ponder how to spare rod. The dilemma confronting the south african teacher is that the south african education system is in a stage of transition from a system that supported corporal punishment and the promotion of an inhumane retributive ideology gladwel l, 1999. Regionally, corporal punishment at school was found to be most prevalent in the eastern cape and kwazulunatal, with 21% of school going children experiencing corporal punishment. Basic education rights handbook education rights in. In most of continental europe, school corporal punishment has been banned for several decades or longer, depending on the country see the list of countries below.
The use of corporal punishment in south african schools. This 20second clip, of rather poor picture quality, probably comes from southern africa. But this legislative intervention did not end the use of corporal punishment in schools. Thisarticle offers an explanation for the ongoing use of corporal punishment. It became acknowledged as an essential part of the schooling system. This is despite the fact that education is supposed to inculcate and instill discipline to learners critical for their success both during school time and after school. Watch new school corporal punishment video emerges. Currently nineteen states permit corporal punishment in schools, while thirtyone states plus washington, d.
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