Cape Town - More than three quarters of the reported cases of corporal punishment at public schools last year were in the Western Cape, according to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
In a written reply to a parliamentary question on Thursday, she said 247 cases were reported from schools across the country during 2013/14, of which 188 cases were in the Western Cape.
The number of reported instances of corporal punishment in that province had grown over the past three years, from 99 in 2011/12, to 115 in 2012/13, to 188 last year.
In contrast, there were only two reported corporal punishment cases in the Northern Cape, and 24 in the Eastern Cape, over the same three-year period.
“Medical assistance and emotional support for parents and counselling services were provided to learners,” Motshekga said.
A total of 29 teachers, across all nine provinces, were found guilty of administering corporal punishment over the three-year period, including three from the Western Cape.
Of the total of 607 reported cases of corporal punishment at public schools between 2011/12 and last year, 402 of them were in that province.
Motshekga said all of the 29 teachers involved remained in their posts.
“All the teachers are still teaching at the same school, as the disciplinary sanctions do not include transfers,” she said.
Sapa