The Free State Department of Education has condemned images circulating on social media purportedly showing a Free State high school principal using corporal punishment on a student.
The department has expressed grave concern about the incident, alleging that the punishment was meted out to the student for missing detention at Ntsu Secondary School in Bethlehem’s Thabo Mofutsanyane District.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Husband (90) And Wife (82) Perish In Shack Fire
The department announced on Sunday that the incident was being investigated and that anyone found guilty of violating the ban on corporal punishment would face harsh punishment.
The Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that the common law defence of “reasonable and moderate chastisement” was unconstitutional, effectively outlawing all corporal punishment of children.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Woman Assaulted With Panga And Spade To Death By Husband
“We also urge SGBs to make sure that they monitor the use of corporal punishment in our schools. But equally, we also urge learners to exercise high levels of discipline in school,” he said.
“Corporal punishment is a violation of children’s rights, physical integrity, dignity, health, development and education.
“The effects of corporal punishment are far-reaching and can cause mental and physical harm to children as well as short- and long-term aggression and antisocial behaviour in learners, even as they mature.”
