Replace corporal punishment with new methods - teachers told

Teachers have been urged to come up with  new humane methods of disciplining students to replace corporal punishment which was banned by the High Court, Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (Zimta) chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu has said.

Ndlovu said Zimbabwe had no option, but to align itself to world conventions that call for humane methods of disciplining children.

"We should look at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, where we are saying, in terms of corporal punishment, the Zimbabwean teacher who goes to teach in South Africa should not be found on the wrong side of the law.

"We should shun justifying dehumanising means of behaviour control and we must find other alternative behaviour modification methods for our learners.

" In society in general, it is unfortunate that we have proponents for corporal punishment today, both at school level and at community level. My view, as a teacher is that, let us stop using that approach because it brings about violence, intolerance, hate and hurt to the pupils and it is very barbaric."

The High Court  ruling came after a parent complained that her child in grade one, a class for six-year-olds, had deep bruises after a beating by a teacher.

Linah Pfungwa said her daughter had been punished for failing to have her reading book signed by guardians as proof she had done her homework.