The South African Council for Educator’s lenient sentences for educators who are found guilty.
This matter involves a challenge by the Centre for Child Law and two parents in two separate decisions taken by the South African Council of Educators (SACE) to give educators extremely and overly lenient sentences for assaulting children. The Centre for Child Law, represented by Section27, seeks to review the respective decisions as well as ensure that sanctions imposed by SACE pay regard to:
(i) the need for corrective and rehabilitative sanctions,
(ii) the need for mandatory removal from the educators roll in cases of serious assault,
(iii) the need to recognise children’s best interests, and
(iv) the need for a child-centred approach to disciplinary proceedings.
Equal Education Law Centre represents the Children’s Institute. The Children’s Institute has made an application to enter the matter as an amicus curiae. Children’s Institute hopes to bring to the court’s attention the prevalence of corporal punishment in schools, the negative effect that corporal punishment has on children, and to provide guidance on alternative methods of discipline in the classroom that have been proven to work.
Court Papers
- Children’s Institute Amicus Application (Part 1)
- Children’s Institute Amicus Application (Part 2)
- Children’s Institute Amicus Application (Part 3)
- Children’s Institute Amicus Application (Part 4)
- Children’s Institute Amicus Application (Part 5)
- Karen Quail Expert Affidavit
- SACE Answering Affidavit
- Children’s Institute Replying Affidavit
- Judgement
Media
- First press statement
- Press statement before going back to court
- Teachers need to control their classes without using corporal punishment
- Corporal punishment in the spotlight after two teachers accused of assaulting pupils
- The council for educators needs a heavier hand in dealing with the scourge of corporal punishment
