Alternatives to corporal punishment in maintaining discipline in rural primary schools

The abolishment of corporal punishment has left many teachers with high stress on how to deal with undisciplined learners. Teachers in both public and independent rural primary schools find it difficult to maintain discipline resulting in the number of criminal activities and ill-discipline of learners. In South Africa, the department does not seem to be assisting educators in dealing with abusive and disruptive learners. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of alternatives to corporal punishment for maintaining discipline in rural primary schools. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to collect data. The results of this study indicate that alternatives to corporal punishment are effectively applied in primary schools and are effective. However, some do not encourage those alternatives, they think these result in misconduct. Some educators suggest that learners need to be punished corporally in order to maintain discipline in them, which is why the majority of teachers are still practicing corporal punishment. They think it is effective in maintaining discipline. All schools using alternative methods have reported positive response to their methods in dealing with misbehaviour of learners in classroom and outdoors. It can be concluded that teachers are still applying corporal punishment in maintaining discipline and therefore need training in dealing with disruptive learners in maintaining discipline in schools as corporal punishment is lawfully banned in schools.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Zululand

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Sekhwama, Avhashoni Molly

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Kutame, A.P.
• Dube, M.C.

• Corporal punishment
• Primary schools

Licence

• https://devspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/8b6203b5-6025-4b63-a6b6-c38b9a3158c3/download