Perceptions and practices of discipline in urban black schools in South Africa

Abstract

Corporal punishment and the use of other punitive measures are often regarded as synonymous with 'good discipline'. In spite of prohibitive legislation, such measures are still being used in schools in South Africa. The findings of a qualitative investigation, which explored the perceptions and practices of discipline in black urban schools, are presented. The research formed part of a national project on discipline in South African schools undertaken under the auspices of the Human Sciences Research Council. Qualitative data gathering included observation, interviews with key informants and focus group interviews with educators, learners and parents. Additional information was obtained from educators by means of open-ended questions included in a questionnaire. Findings indicated that role players differed in their perceptions of discipline; both educators and learners were guilty of misconduct; learner misconduct was mostly dealt with by punitive measures and strategies to deal with educator misconduct often failed due to the lengthy procedure stipulated by the Department of Education. The influence ofexternal factors on learner behaviour and the role of the principal and school governing body in establishing a culture of learning and teaching are also described. Finally, recent government initiatives aimed at dealing with the misconduct of both learners and educators are outlined.