Learner discipline in the post-corporal punishment era: What an experience!

Abstract

Learner discipline is one of the bases of effective teaching and learning. If learners are not well disciplined, schools will not provide the best possible education. Therefore, it is important that good disciplinary measures and procedures be put in place in any school. In this article we investigate how learners in schools are currently being disciplined without violating their human rights. The nature and the causes of learners’ disciplinary problems are fundamental. A qualitative data-collection approach was employed in this research. Purposive non-probability sampling was used to select the participants for the study. Experienced educators from school disciplinary committees, Representative Councils of Learners (RCLs) and the school principals of 4 schools were interviewed. We found that the common causes of learners’ disciplinary problems varied from school to school. Furthermore, effective school management was found to be at the heart of learner discipline and the general academic performance of the school. We recommend that parents as first teachers should instill values and morals for their children to distinguish right from wrong.

Keywords: corporal punishment; disciplinary problem; discipline; disruptive learner; misconduct; school discipline