A male teacher at Madabani Primary School, in the Soutpansberg West Circuit, is in hot water for allegedly applying corporal punishment. He is accused of beating a Grade 5 learner at the school on the buttocks in full view of his classmates for not doing his homework. The 13-year-old boy sustained multiple injuries to his backside.
The mother of the learner, who may not be identified, told Limpopo Mirror that they were reluctant to open a case as they wanted to protect their son from being victimised at the school. She said that they had reported the incident to the circuit manager of Soutpansberg West, but apparently no-one has acted against the teacher as per the Department of Education's policy.
The mother said she had met with the teacher, who she claims tried to convince her not to lay a charge. "He wanted me to keep silent on the matter, but my son's buttocks were badly swollen."
She said the Department of Education should act against abusive teachers. "As a parent, I am hurt to see my child bruised by someone who should be protecting him - the teacher. If my child has done something wrong, why does the teacher not call me as a parent? Many a time I have heard children from this school complaining about being hit by their teachers. Some are afraid to report these activities out of fear that they will be failed. My trust in these teachers has been eroded. I thought teachers are more than educators, committed to protecting learners, including my son, but I was wrong. Enough is enough now. This time around I want to see the department take action against this abusive teacher," she said.
Learners at the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they did not feel safe and free at the school anymore as the teachers often applied corporal punishment.
When contacted for comment about the matter, the Department of Education's spokesperson, Mr Mike Maringa, described the incident as "regrettable". "Whether a child is healthy or not, the truth is that corporal punishment is forbidden."
Maringa said the department would start with an investigation into the matter. They were still waiting for the report regarding the incident from the school principal, circuit manager, and senior district manager.