Bloemfontein – The SA Human Rights Commission in the Northern Cape hasn’t received a response to letters written to two schools in the province informing them that allegations of corporal punishment had been made against them.
Chantelle Williams, Northern Cape provincial manager of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), told News24 recently they had received two complaints from parents in different regions of the province about corporal punishment in schools.
One complaint came from the ZFM district (in the Upington area) and the other from the Pixley Ka Seme district (in the De Aar area). The schools were given 21 days to respond to the letters, but failed to do so.
“We will now send out follow-up letters. They will have seven days to respond to these. If they fail, we will look at other options, possibly an investigation into the complaints, followed by a report with findings and recommendations,” Williams said.
She did not want to give further information on the cases so as to protect the identities of the children involved.
“Corporal punishment is illegal in schools. It violates people’s right not to be subjected to humiliating punishment. It is a human rights violation. Apart from that, there are children involved and corporal punishment does not have the interests of these children at heart.
“I find it worrying that there seems to be no consequences for the teachers who dish out this form of punishment. I get the impression that parents are expected to simply accept it,” she said.
Source: News24