A school in the Emandlangeni (Utrecht) area finds itself under the spotlight regarding allegations of corporal punishment.
According to reports, in order to discipline a student for walking from one class to another to borrow a pen—the Principal caned a grade 12’s hand to the point of blisters. Subsequent to the incident, the outraged Democratic Alliance (DA) requested that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, call for a full investigation into the claims of continuous instances of corporal punishment at Umzilikazi Secondary School in Northern KZN. The party’s provincial spokesperson on education, Dr Imran Keeka, stated, “The DA strongly condemns the assault of this learner. Shockingly, we were also reliably informed that this is not an isolated incident and a habitual practice of this Principal.”
He further said that Section 10 of the South African Schools Act says, inter alia (among other things), “… 10. (1) No person may administer corporal punishment at a school to a learner.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a sentence which could be imposed for assault….”
With this in mind, he declared, “This effectively outlaws corporal punishment in our schools, and it must be considered as nothing more than a gross assault of learners when it is meted out.”
While the student’s family—who notified the DA of the crime—are reluctant to press charges for fear of victimisation, Dr Keeka affirmed, the party has encouraged them to do so and to seek medical attention. “No one should leave any type of assault unreported because it allows for perpetrators to continue with their lawless misconduct in an unchecked manner. We have read of far too many cases that have not ended well.”
Apart from calling on the MEC to conduct a comprehensive probe, the DA also asked Mshengu to suspend the Principal until all the facts had been gathered. “Our schools must be a place of safety. Learning and teaching requires a safe and conducive classroom environment, where there is no fear of attending school due to the possibility of being beaten up – particularly by those who are responsible for ensuring that a quality education is the priority. There simply is no place in any school for those who assault our children. The DA expects MEC Mshengu to act in the interest of KZN’s learners,” emphasised Keeka.
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