A Form 2 student at Kwena Sereto Secondary School in Molepolole was rushed to hospital after he allegedly sustained injuries to his private parts, following corporal punishment administered on his buttocks by a female teacher.
The school head, Mogomotsi Paledi, referred our enquiries to the Kweneng Regional Education Officer, Kerekeng Koko, who confirmed the incident and said the matter had been referred to the Police.
“A student from the school was taken to hospital after receiving corporal punishment from a teacher. The Education Act allows for teachers to administer reasonable corporal punishment but it seems in this case the punishment was too severe,” Koko said.
Kefentse Mbaiwa, Scottish Livingston Hospital’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the hospital had admitted and treated a student from Kwena Sereto Secondary School.
“We treated a student who was alleged to have been assaulted by a teacher,” he said.
Mbaiwa, however, could not be drawn into describing the injuries sustained by the student citing doctor, patient confidentiality. The Station Commander at Molepolole Police Station, Tawana Tawana, also confirmed that a case of assault had been opened against the teacher.
Corporal punishment is still lawful in schools. It is regulated by the Education (Government and Aided Secondary Schools) Regulations 1978 article 21 of which dictates that “Corporal punishment shall be administered only on reasonable grounds and only where it appears that other disciplinary measures would be inadequate or ineffective in the circumstances of the case.”
It goes on to say that Corporal punishment “shall be moderate and reasonable in nature and shall be administered only on the palms of the hands or across the buttocks with a light cane not more than 1 meter long and at the thickest end not more than 1 cm in diameter or with a suitable strap, and no punishment shall exceed five strokes with the cane or strap.
The student in question is reported to have suffered injuries to his testicles.
