Prosecution for teachers who beat pupils

By Patrick Chitumba

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Lazarus Dokora has warned teachers against administering corporal punishment on pupils saying anyone found doing so would be prosecuted.

Addressing parents and school administrators from 576 primary and secondary schools in the Midlands province in Gweru, Minister Dokora said corporal punishment was primitive.

He said a memorandum was on the way to reinforce that position.

“Beating up pupils is a thing of the past. It’s a thing of the past. Teachers please don’t beat up your pupils,” he said.

“If you beat up a child and the parents report you, you’ll be prosecuted.”

Minister Dokora said with the new education curriculum which also emphasises on continuous assessment of pupils work, there was no room for beating up pupils.

“With the new curriculum, there is no time for laziness or bad behaviour by the pupils. It’s strictly learning and teachers must strive to know the weaknesses, and the strengths of their pupils. I read in the paper last week of a headmistress who was pleading with the parents of a child she had assaulted to drop the charges. And for what? She had beaten up the boy because he had failed some work she had given him,” he said.

Minister Dokora said continuous assessment of pupils was prudent in preparing them for tertiary education.

He said the new curriculum was going to make education easier for pupils because from early childhood development (ECD), pupils would be taught in their mother language.

“Physical education, visual and performance skills will be part of the early education. The pupils will be trained on mass displays.

“Kids at that age should be taught to be familiar with numbers so that they think scientifically.

“That will also call for laboratories in primary schools because we want to catch them young,” he said. The Chronicle