Perceptions and experiences of learners on the banning of corporal punishment in south african schools

Abstract

The growing recognition that corporal punishment is an act of violence against children has resulted in the abolishment of this form of punishment in society, and particularly in schools. This qualitative study explores the views of learners on the administration of corporal punishment although it has been legally abolished in all South African schools. Data collection was done by means of semi-structured interviews involving selected learners in two secondary schools in the Pinetown District in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The findings suggest that regardless of the legal framework that criminalises the use of corporal punishment, the administration of this form of punishment persisted in the schools under study. Moreover, some learners had become so insensitive to the physical pain inflicted by corporal punishment, that their behaviour was exacerbated rather than curbed by practice.