Cape Town - More than 200 Western Cape teachers have been found guilty of meting out corporal punishment to pupils over a period of a year, statistics provided by the provincial Education Department has revealed.
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 2015/16 financial year.
Spokesman Paddy Attwell said the department found there were no grounds to press charges in 205 cases.
“Teachers were found guilty in 222 cases, while 74 cases were still pending by the end of the financial year (March 31).”
During the previous financial year, the department received 430 reports of corporal punishment and 204 were dealt with at disciplinary hearings.
Asked what sanctions teachers could face if found guilty of meting out corporal punishment, Attwell said: “Final written warning, coupled with a fine or suspension, and dismissal in serious cases of assault”.
Recently, an audit by advocacy group Equal Education also focused attention on the issue of corporal punishment.
The group said its audit of 244 schools in the province showed, among other things, that corporal punishment had taken place at 83 percent of the participating schools.
Some of the participating pupils reported that teachers were using sticks, batons and other objects to beat them.
Jonavon Rustin, provincial secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union, said the union was concerned about the number of cases of corporal punishment in the province and was working with education authorities to help address the issue.
“The union has made it clear that this is something we can never condone.
“I think the department can place more focus on helping teachers to positively deal with the behaviour of learners.”
Last month, the Congress of SA Students in the Western Cape called for a shutdown of Western Cape schools on July 22, and said one of its main grievances was that teachers in the province were using corporal punishment.
Attwell said the department viewed incidents of corporal punishment in a serious light and fully investigated alleged cases reported to it.
All findings were reported to the South African Council of Educators.
“The Western Cape Education Department provides extensive training and support on discipline and positive behaviour programmes via our district offices.”
Attwell said the Western Cape had the lowest incidence of corporal punishment in the country according to Stats SA figures for six provinces for the period 2009 to 2012.
“Stats SA figures for these provinces are as follows: Eastern Cape: 30.3 percent, KwaZulu-Natal: 21.4 percent, Free State: 18.4 percent, Mpumalanga: 11.5 percent, Gauteng: 4.6 percent and Western Cape: 4.5 percent.”
In a statement released last week Education MEC Debbie Schafer said every corporal punishment complaint received by the department was investigated and action taken.
“We strongly urge learners to report any form of abuse or assault at their school to us.
“They can call our Safe Schools hotline on 0800 45 46 47. All these cases are investigated and dealt with in terms of the necessary procedures.”
The department has indicated that it was planning to meet with Equal Education this week.
Cape Argus