POLOKWANE – Corporal punishment is a criminal offence and offenders can be arrested.
The subject of corporal punishment in schools is once again in the spotlight after a teenage boy from Nirvana Primary School was allegedly assaulted by the school’s caretaker last Thursday.
A group of children allegedly took the caretaker’s hat and ran away with it.
The boy who was allegedly assaulted explained: “The children took the hat and placed it on my head. I took it off and threw it on the ground and that is when the caretaker came and hit me on my buttocks with a piece of wire. After he hit me, my buttocks were burning and aching. I had a red welt that later became blue.
“I asked him why he hit me and he said it was because I took his hat. I told him it was not me, but he insisted that it was. We went to the principal’s office where I explained that I did not take the hat, but still I had to apologise and accept the punishment from the caretaker.”
The boy went home and told his mother what had happened.
“I was furious when I heard the man hit my child because of a hat. I wanted to open a case of assault at the Westenburg police station, but after I calmed down, I thought the man might have a family that he supports and I felt sorry for him. I did not want him to lose his job.
“But I think he owes my son an apology and he must get a warning so that he never raises his hand to my child or any other learner again.”
School principal Thokozani Mhlongo, confirmed the incident and said the education department’s Pietersburg circuit office asked that the school forward a report to them on what happened.
“The caretaker said the boy teased him for some time, but he never reported it to me. The boy confessed that he took the caretaker’s hat and the caretaker confessed to hitting the child.
“The mother called me and she was very angry. She cried and said she was going to open a case at the police station. She refused to come to the school and ended the call before I could say anything. I did not see any injuries on the boy the day of the incident so I did not take the matter very seriously, until the circuit called to ask for a report.”
By the time of going to print, education spokesperson Paena Galane, had not commented on the matter.
