Teachers’ ignorance of corporal punishment leads pupils to suffer
Punishment (read aggression, read corporal punishment) is not and never was the best way to correct mistakes. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
- All the incidents have happened when there was Government Notice No. 24 of 2002 that directed that a schoolchild should be caned on the hand or on the buttocks with a light, flexible stick
Dar es Salaam. While there is an outcry regarding the corporal punishment given to students by some teachers, it has been found that many teachers do not understand or sometimes ignore the existing guidelines concerning the matter.
Punishments of this type have been on the increase, sparking debates as the government blames some teachers for overreacting while some parents and activists want the punishment to be abolished.
This week, a video clip went viral on social media showing a teacher punishing schoolchildren estimated to be under 14 years old, while some of his colleagues watched helplessly.
But in a swift response, the government said yesterday that it had already taken the necessary action against the head teacher who conducted the brutal incident in Kyerwa District, Kagera Region.
“We have verified the clip and suspended the teacher as we launch investigations before taking appropriate action against him. Right now he is not at work,” said Prof Adolf Mkenda, minister for Education, Science, and Technology through a voice message distributed to the public.
This incident is not unique to Kagera. In August 2021, a 13-year-old pupil died after he was allegedly beaten by his teacher, who accused him of stealing another teacher’s purse.
In the same year, in Geita, a Form Five student at Kalangalala Secondary School lost consciousness after he was allegedly punished by his teacher.
All the incidents have happened when there has been Government Notice Number 24 of 2002 that directs that a schoolchild should be caned on the hand or on the buttocks with a light, flexible stick. There should be no more than four strokes.
Yesterday, in her meeting with education officers and teachers from across Dar es Salaam Region, Ms Angellah Kairuki, minister of State in the President’s Office, Administration and Local Government-condemned the act and reminded them of the notice that has been ignored for many years.
“We are not saying that children should not be punished, no, but all teachers must follow the guidelines and what the criteria for the punishment say. We will not allow this situation to continue,” she said.
Speaking further on the matter, Ms Kairuki said that the punishment can be given only in the event of extreme misconduct, either for criminal offenses committed inside or outside the school with a tendency to tarnish the school’s image.
The notice also, she said, directs that the corporal punishment must take into account the severity of the offense, age, sex and health of the child.
“Only the head teacher of the school or another teacher appointed by the head in writing can conduct the exercise, but not every teacher in school,” she explained.
For his part, one of the education officers told The Citizen that there have been many cases, although the ones lucky enough to spread them were few, and that most teachers were ignorant of the guidelines.
“This is a big problem in schools because many teachers are ignorant; they don’t take the time to go through all the guidelines. I believe now we will start managing the existing guidelines so that they are implemented,” he said.
“The one who did that brutality is the head teacher; it means that he doesn’t even know anything about what he is supposed to do...” he added.
