Parents, teachers demand action as allegations of corporal punishment unsettle Michael Rua Primary

Parents and teachers at Michael Rua Primary School say pupils are living in fear amid allegations of ongoing corporal punishment and intimidation, and they are calling for urgent action as an investigation gets under way.

Allegations and parental complaints

According to The Citizen, complaints seen by the paper allege that pupils at Michael Rua Primary School were subjected to corporal punishment and intimidation. Parents told The Citizen they had submitted a formal complaint to the school’s Institutional Development Support Official (IDSO), but no assessment or intervention followed.

Parents also alleged that some pupils were threatened into remaining silent about incidents of abuse. One parent described how the conduct affected children’s relationship with school, saying it had a “negative impact on many learners” and left some feeling “fearful and anxious”.

Other parents told The Citizen their children were no longer looking forward to attending school.

“Instead of looking forward to school, they are afraid and anxious because they fear being beaten or humiliated.”

One parent added,

“No child should have to learn in an environment where they are afraid of being physically punished. We are tired, and enough is enough now.”

Parents who sought help at the school said their efforts produced little progress. One parent told The Citizen,

“I went to the school many times, and I even talked to the social worker who is working at the school, but she didn’t help me.”

Teachers describe a culture of intimidation

Teachers who spoke to The Citizen described what they called a culture of intimidation affecting staff and learners. One teacher alleged pupils had once been told to stand in the rain during assembly while the principal addressed them. The teacher said some pupils were beaten during that incident and told The Citizen,

“There was an incident where learners were told to stand in the rain… When learners ran to their classes, the principal called them back, and they were told to stand in the rain because she was not done talking. Others were beaten.”

The same teacher told The Citizen they frequently saw the principal slap learners:

“I always see her slap learners around me.”

The teacher also alleged the principal once pinched a learner and later apologised to the parent.

Teachers told The Citizen that pupils were disciplined using “sticks, pinching and slapping” and that many educators felt unable to report concerns because of fear. One teacher said staff who raised issues were dismissed by the principal, who allegedly told them they

“cannot do anything to her”

and that staff needed to follow protocol. The Citizen also reported that educators said they were routinely shouted at during meetings and that

“Everyone is scared.”

Gauteng Department of Education response and investigation

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) confirmed to The Citizen that it is aware of the allegations and has launched investigations. The department said it would treat allegations that pupils were threatened into remaining silent as “a serious violation of learners’ rights and professional misconduct”, and that attempts to discourage reporting, intimidate witnesses or obstruct investigations may amount to misconduct that could lead to disciplinary action.

The GDE told The Citizen it had previously received a complaint but had faced challenges in pursuing disciplinary processes because parents were not prepared to identify themselves or have their children give evidence in a disciplinary hearing. In its words,

“In the current matter, we received a complaint, but the parents were not prepared to have themselves and their children identified or to give evidence in a disciplinary hearing. We do not have a case if we do not have witnesses.”

The department reiterated that corporal punishment is prohibited in all South African schools and said investigations may include collecting written statements, interviewing staff, providing psychosocial support to affected pupils, referring criminal matters to the South African Police Service, and instituting disciplinary proceedings where appropriate. The GDE listed potential sanctions that could follow substantiated allegations, including written warnings, dismissal, referral to the South African Council for Educators for professional misconduct proceedings, and criminal prosecution where assault or intimidation is established.

What parents and teachers want

Parents and teachers who spoke to The Citizen said repeated attempts to seek helpincluding approaches to the school and its social workeryielded little progress. They are urging the education authorities to pursue the investigation and to ensure pupils can learn in an environment free from fear, intimidation and abuse.

According to The Citizen, complaints and witness accounts underpin the current investigation by the Gauteng Department of Education.