Challenges in implementing alternatives to corporal punishment in secondary public schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges faced by teachers in implementing alternatives to corporal punishment (ATCP) using two public secondary schools, in the Gauteng province, as sources of data. It was envisaged that the undertaking of this study would help to rethink the concept of ATCP. Corporal punishment was banned in the year 2000, and from then on, teachers were expected to use ATCP to enforce discipline in schools. Extant literature shows that public secondary schools experience many challenges in implementing ATCP. The study explored the ATCP strategies that are implemented in public secondary schools using qualitative interviews. It also explored teachers’ perspectives on what can be done to enhance the efficiency of ATCP. Furthermore, the study investigated how the ATCP have been able to address indiscipline in public secondary schools. Moreover, the study explored the types of challenges that public secondary school teachers encounter in identifying practical ways to mitigate the challenges of indiscipline. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology aimed at obtaining an in-depth understanding of the research problem. Two data collection methods were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven teachers and two principals from two different public secondary schools. The study also utilised document analysis to reflect on the challenges experienced by teachers in implementing ATCP in public secondary schools. Findings suggest that, for the implementation of ATCP to be successful, there is a need for all stakeholders to be pro-active and supportive, to cooperate with teachers, to strive to cultivate conducive home environments, to see to the supervision of learners in classrooms, to promote a low teacher to learner ratio and to adopt progressive school rules.