Corporal punishment in rural schools is ‘big challenge’ for South African Council of Educators

Corporal punishment remains a problem in the country’s schools, according to the South African Council for Educators (Sace), which received 169 complaints in the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

Of the complaints, only two teachers “were removed indefinitely for severe assault on learners,” while 23 were found guilty and paid a fine. 

The number of complaints for 2021-22 are yet to be finalised, the council told the Mail & Guardian. 

The use of corporal punishment remains most prevalent in rural areas, according to Basil Manuel, the executive director of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa).