Majika Primary teachers accused of corporal punishment

The provincial Department of Education has recently warned the teachers at Majika Primary School to stop administrating corporal punishment.

This publication has received several complaints from parents, alleging that their children had been exposed to corporal punishment at this institution.

One such parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said her son had come back from school crying that a teacher had beat him with a pipe. “My 12-year-old son had a burn wound on his back. When he got home he came crying to me, saying a teacher had beaten him with a pipe right where the wound is, and that made it worse,” said the mother.

To add insult to injury, my son’s uncle went to speak to the school principal, who simply accused my son of telling lies.

Another parent also accused the teachers of beating her two daughters, aged 10 and 12, at the school. “What is worrisome, though, is that when one complains, one’s children become victims of circumstances. The principal is never prepared to meet with the parents to discuss any challenges regarding our children, especially corporal punishment,” said the second parent.

ALSO READ: Former student of Elijah Mango laments its continued deterioration

Following further investigations, this publication contacted the provincial department’s spokesperson, Gerald Sambo, for comment. He promised these allegations against the school would be investigated.

He said corporal punishment remains a criminal offence and an infringement of human rights. “If the allegations against the teachers at Majika are true, we warn them to immediately refrain from administering corporal punishment. It remains a crime for any teacher to beat a learner, for whatever reason. We are going to conduct investigations into this matter, and should anyone be found guilty, they will face disciplinary action,” said Sambo.

He said the warning extended to other schools at which teachers were beating children. “We call upon the parents whose children become victims of corporal punishment at any school in the province to inform the department, because this is illegal and the teachers know that.”

Majika Primary is the same school that recently featured in news headlines following allegations of gangrapes in the school toilets.

A concerned parent claimed a 14-year-old boy was caught raping another younger boy in the toilets. Several angered parents went to the school to shut it down and demand an explanation as to what it was doing about the situation. “Two Grade Three boys, aged between nine and 11, went to the toilet and found the older boy in the act of raping a boy, aged 10. The older boy then accused them of spying on him and forced them into having sex with the victim as well, as a kind of punishment,” said the parent.

ALSO READ: Woman wounded and man killed in shooting incident in KaBokweni

After the matter was reported to the school principal, the mother of the 14-year-old boy was called to a meeting with the school management. “The boy’s mother said her son was doing exactly what had been done to him in the past. She said he was having his revenge after he himself had been raped a few years ago,” a teacher who opted to remain anonymous said.