Deputy Minister of police, Bongani Mkongi, has called on South Africans to begin the discussion on corporal punishment in schools. Mkongi says that since the banishment of corporal punishment, alternative forms of discipline are not bearing fruit.
The police deputy minister was speaking at a school safety summit hosted by the Gauteng government in Boksburg.
Amid growing concerns of safety at schools, SGB’s, teacher unions, police and the Gauteng government held a summit to discuss safety concerns. Addressing delegates, Mkongi says South Africans are uncomfortable with difficult conversations, but the corporal punishment topic needs to be discussed.
“The question remains; are the alternative ways in disciplining learners in schools working and if they are not working, what else can be done?”
Following various incidents of burglaries, learner on learner violence, learners attacking teachers and violent altercations between pupils and police at some Gauteng schools; MEC Panyanza Lesufi says violence is not the answer. He called on a unified way to address the current challenges.
“The left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing so this summit is trying to bring both hands to know how can we work together and how can we resolve the issues.”
While solutions were being sought, those representing parents also cautioned about absent parenting and children being recruited into peddling drugs at schools.
With issues of school safety reported almost weekly, only time will tell if this talk shop will bear fruit.
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