NN 27/2026
LEERDER DISSIPLINE
VERHEF JOU WOORDE, NIE JOU HANDE NIE
“Jaareindmoegheid” of “jaareinduitbranding” is ‘n verskynsel waarmee baie werknemers hierdie tyd van die jaar gekonfronteer word. Ons besef dat ‘n kombinasie van opgeboude spanning, druk om sperdatums te haal, lae motivering en moegheid bydra tot oordeelsfoute en verkeerde besluite.
Daarom ‘n kort kragtige waarskuwing:
WAAK TEEN DIE TOEDIENING VAN LYFSTRAF.
Wat is die definisie van lyfstraf?
Lyfstraf word soos volg gedefinieer in die gewysigde Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet (SASW), “lyfstraf beteken enige opsetlike daad teen ‘n kind wat pyn of fisiese ongemak veroorsaak, hoe gering ook al, met die doel om die kind te straf of te beperk, wat onder meer die volgende insluit:
a) slaan, klap, knyp of krap met die hand of enige voorwerp;
b) skop, skud, gooi, voorwerpe gooi na, brand, brand met warm vloeistof, byt, aan hare trek, teen die ore slaan, of kinders trek of stoot;
c) kinders dwing om in ongemaklike posisies te bly, gedwonge inname van stowwe, die uitwas van ‘n kind se mond met seep, die onthouding van maaltye, hitte en skuiling, ‘n kind dwing om oefeninge te doen wat nie in ooreenstemming is met die kurrikulum wat op die leerder van toepassing is nie, of die onthouding of beperking van ‘n kind se gebruik van die toilet; en
d) enige dade wat daarop gemik is om ‘n leerder te verkleineer, te verneder, te dreig, vrees in te boesem, of die waardigheid en persoon van ‘n leerder belaglik te maak.”
Word lyfstraf as ‘n ernstige vorm van wangedrag geag?
Die Wet op Indiensneming van Opvoeders, soos gewysig (WIO) maak ‘n onderskeid tussen ernstige vorme van wangedrag (Artikel 17) en minder ernstige vorme van wangedrag (Artikel 18).
Wangedrag wat onder Artikel 17 van die bovermelde wetgewing reflekteer, sluit subartikel 17(1)(g) in, wat bepaal dat “‘n opvoeder ontslaan moet word indien hy of sy skuldig bevind word aan die pleeg van enige ander daad wat, in enige ander wet wat op die opvoeder van toepassing is vir sover dit sy of haar diens betref, as ernstige wangedrag geklassifiseer word.”
Hierdie artikel moet saamgelees word met die verbod op toediening van lyfstraf soos gestipuleer in Artikel 10(1) van SASW: “Lyfstraf is afgeskaf, en niemand mag lyfstraf toedien of oplê aan ‘n leerder by ‘n skool, tydens ‘n skoolaktiwiteit, of in ‘n koshuis wat leerders van ‘n skool huisves nie.”
Lede moet ook daarop let dat sommige tipes wangedrag, soos vervat in Artikel 18 van WIO, ook geag word as ernstig van aard te wees ten spyte van die feit dat dit nie in die artikel as “ernstig” benoem word nie. Dit sluit byvoorbeeld wangedrag soos aanranding in terme van Artikel 18(1)(r) in.
Artikel 18(5) van die WIO bepaal verder dat 'n opvoeder ontslaan kan word indien hy of sy skuldig bevind word aan die oortreding van Artikel 10 van SASW, soos beoog in Artikel 18(1)(dd) wat bepaal dat ‘n opvoeder wangedrag pleeg indien hy of sy 'n gemeenregtelike of statutêre misdryf pleeg.
Wat is die gevolge van ‘n skuldigbevinding op 'n Artikel 17 -lyfstrafklag?
Artikel 17 van die WIO laat geen ruimte vir ‘n Voorsittende Beampte om sy diskresie rakende ‘n gepaste sanksie uit te oefen nie. Volgens die WIO is daar slegs een sanksie op ‘n skuldig bevinding van ‘n artikel 17-aanklag, naamlik ontslag.
Artikel 10(2) van SASW bepaal ook verder dat enige persoon wat hom- of haarself skuldig maak aan lyfstraf, skuldig is aan ‘n misdryf en by skuldigbevinding strafbaar is met ‘n boete of gevangenisstraf, of met beide sodanige boete en gevangenisstraf, wat ‘n hof na goeddunke kan bepaal nadat die omstandighede van elke geval oorweeg is.
Ingevolge die verpligte sanksies van die Suid-
Afrikaanse Raad vir Opvoeders (SARO), kan ‘n opvoeder wat hom- of haarself aan hierdie vorm van wangedrag skuldig maak, ook sy of haar registrasie by SARO verloor.
Onthou dus, alle dade het gevolge. Lyfstraf is nooit die antwoord nie. Maak die regte keuse.
Indien jy twyfel of vrae het oor die onderwerp, moet asseblief nie huiwer om jou provinsiale SAOU-kantoor of die SAOU Regsafdeling te kontak nie.
2026/11/05
LEARNER DISCIPLINE
RAISE YOUR WORDS, NOT YOUR HANDS
“Year-end fatigue” or “year-end burnout” is a phenomenon that many employees face at this time of year. We recognize that a combination of accumulated stress, pressure to meet deadlines, lack of motivation, and fatigue contributes to errors in judgment and poor decisions.
Therefore, a brief but firm warning:
BEWARE OF ADMINISTERING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
What is the definition of corporal punishment?
Corporal punishment is defined as follows in the amended South African Schools Act (SASA), “corporal punishment means any deliberate act against a child that inflicts pain or physical discomfort, however light, to punish or contain the child, which includes, but is not limited to:
a) hitting, smacking, slapping, pinching or scratching with the hand or any object;
b) kicking, shaking, throwing, throwing objects at, burning, scalding, biting, pulling hair, boxing ears, pulling or pushing children;
c) forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions, forced ingestion, washing children’s mouth out with soap, denying meals, heat and shelter, forcing a child to do exercises that are not in accordance with the curriculum applicable on the learner or denying or restricting a child’s use of the toilet; and
d) any acts which seek to belittle, humiliate, threaten, induce fear or ridicule the dignity and person of a learner.”
Is corporal punishment considered a serious form of misconduct?
The Employment of Educators Act, as amended (EEA), distinguishes between serious forms of misconduct (Section 17) and less serious forms of misconduct (Section 18).
Misconduct falling under Section 17 of the aforementioned legislation includes subsection 17(1)(g) which states that “an educator must be dismissed if he or she is found guilty of the commission of any other act that is classified as serious misconduct under any other law applicable to the educator in relation to his or her employment.”
This section must be read in conjunction with the prohibition on the administration of corporal punishment, as stipulated in Section 10(1) of SASA: “Corporal punishment is abolished and no person may inflict or impose corporal punishment to a learner at a school, during a school activity, or in a hostel accommodating learners of a school.”
Members should also note that certain types of misconduct as covered in Section 18 of the EEA are also regarded as serious, even though they are not explicitly labelled as "serious" within that section. This includes misconduct such as assault in terms of Section 18(1)(r).
Section 18(5) of the EEA stipulates further that an educator may be dismissed if he or she is found guilty of contravening section 10 of SASA as contemplated in Section 18(1)(dd), which stipulates that an educator is guilty of misconduct if he or she commits a common law or statutory offence.
What are the consequences of a conviction on a Section 17 charge relating to corporal punishment?
Section 17 of the EEA leaves no room for a Presiding Officer to exercise a discretion regarding an appropriate sanction. According to the EEA, there is only one sanction for a guilty finding on a Section 17 charge, namely dismissal.
Furthermore, Section 10(2) of SASA stipulates that any person who commits an act of corporal punishment is guilty of an offence. Upon conviction, they are liable to a fine or imprisonment or both as determined by a court at its discretion, after considering the circumstances of the specific case.
In terms of the mandatory sanctions imposed by the South African Council for Educators (SACE), an educator who engages in this form of misconduct also risks losing their SACE registration.
Remember: all actions have consequences. Corporal punishment is never the answer. Make the right choice.
If you have doubts or questions regarding the matter, please do not hesitate to contact your provincial SAOU office or the SAOU Legal Department.
