Teachers warned against corporal punishment

Botswana Teachers Union Vice President Primary Bakang Bagwasi advises teachers to stay away from corporal punishment altogether.This follows advice by the Ministry of Education that teachers need to stop beating students excessively.A Savingram sent to all Education Regional Directors last week reveals that the ministry is inundated with reports of incidents of excessive use of corporal punishment.Some cases of corporal punishment involve newly-arrived learners, which according to the ministry traumatises the new arrivals and prevents them from settling well in such a school.“While discipline is necessary in schools to manage students’ behaviour and conduct, it must be applied through broad preventative, supportive and constructive strategies to instil acceptable norms and behaviours and encourage self-discipline,” the communique reads.The Ministry told teachers that they want child-friendly schools where learners feel safe and respected. They also want the 21st century learners who can be productive, confident and think for themselves.The communique adds that the teacher may not be aware of underlying health and psychosocial issues that learners may have and the possible consequences of such punishments.“Excessive use of corporal punishment has a negative impact on learning and has the potential to fuel incidents of violence in schools,” the Savingram says.It also reminded teachers that the Education Act is clear on the management of corporal punishment in schools.The Act says corporal punishment shall be administered to a pupil only on reasonable grounds and only where it appears that other disciplinary measures would be inadequate or ineffective in the circumstances of the case.Also it shall be administered reasonably and moderately on the hands or across the buttocks with a light cane not more than 1-metre long and at the thickest end not more than 1-centimetre in diameter. No punishment should exceed five strokes with the cane.Bagwasi believes that teachers have been left in the lurch and are now on their own. He recalled instances where teachers were taken to court and asked to show cause why they should not be prosecuted for having applied corporal punishment on students.“We are not surprised. This is one of the reasons why we have always stressed that teachers find other ways of disciplining students. It is for their own good,” he said.He said that it is apparent to all and sundry that students misbehave openly in schools. They even attack teachers. But, according to the Savingram, it seems teachers are now on their own and it is better that they stay on the safe lane.A high-ranking Education Officer who preferred anonymity confirmed to The Midweek Sun that indeed some teachers overdo it when applying corporal punishment.They are not considerate when beating students and sometimes leave students scarred which is not advisable and leads to parents complaining.Teachers, the Officer said, must administer corporal punishment with caution. In one instance, a parent pulled her child out of school and the student is now home schooling.Chairperson of the National Parents Teachers Association Edward Mogagani this week said their stand is clear – it is that children need to be disciplined through the stick but not to a point where they are left injured.“I go around schools and in some occasions find teachers holding huge sticks and I ask them whose child would be beaten with such a stick,” he said.Mogagani acknowledged that some parents are quick to complain and do not want their children to be beaten thinking that excessive punishment is what happens in schools.Mokganani feels such parents are the problem. There is no harm in using the stick once in a while so that children do not misbehave and spiral out of control, he said.

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Teachers warned against corporal punishment