Manual to guide local teachers
Themba Gadebe
24 August 2007
The Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC) is to introduce a new manual that will help provincial teachers teachers find alternative methods to deal with disruptive and unruly students, as opposed to using corporal punishment.
Western Cape provincial education minister Cameron Dugmore lauded the manual, adding that department would work with district offices to distribute it to all the schools in the province.
"Each school will receive a copy and a CD with all the information in three languages," he said. The information will be made available in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.
The manual contains pamphlets on 15 different topics and is developed so that important additional information can be added to build up a school portfolio on school discipline.
The manual include ways to develop, implement and maintain a supportive and restorative code of conduct for learners, while also explaining the duties and responsibilities of
role players such as principals, learners and parents.
It also looks at the establishment of support systems to deal with learner offences, including bullying, anger management, conflicts and other behavioural problems.
Teachers introduced to the new manual will be given support and training for three years.
The producers of the manual highlighted the plight of teachers when dealing with learners as the critical problem, more so since corporal punishment was ruled as unconstitutional in June 1995.
"More than ever before, teachers are faced with critical problems in their classrooms, and are confronted on a daily basis with unacceptable learner behaviour and threatening situations," said EMDC North director Barry Volschenk.
"After the abolishment of the old system of corporal punishment and control, an urgent need arose to deal with behavioural issues in innovative ways."
Dugmore said as a result of the abolishment of corporal punishment, many
teachers suddenly felt confused, frustrated, and resigned themselves to be without power as they had only known one method of discipline.
"Children have become aware of their rights and they have started to test the boundaries of discipline to the extreme," he said.
"I think this document provides an excellent framework for the establishment of structures in schools for the effective management of healthy, positive discipline."
Source: BuaNews
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