Discipline problems in many schools cannot be solved by departments of education or by teachers working on their own, the president of a teachers’ association on Monday.
”It is, however, essential that the Department of Education should take the lead in beginning to find solutions,” said Dave Balt, president of the Professional Teachers’ Association of South Africa.
Balt said the real issue was that discipline in schools had to be improved so that quality education could be delivered to all pupils equally.
”As an immediate measure the department needs to set up effective communication with, and needs to develop clear guidelines for, schools and teachers.”
Balt said the guidelines should restore the balance between the rights of all pupils, including those who misbehave and those who wanted to learn, and the rights of teachers.
”Teachers must know that they will be supported by departmental officials when they take action to, for example, temporarily suspend a disruptive learner.”
Balt said restoring discipline in schools might require security measures such as random searching and drug testing and, in some schools, additional security measures such as metal detectors.
However, he said, these measures cannot be considered long-term solutions because to do so would be admitting ”defeat”.
”Solutions would have to address the lack of respect, also for life, and the erosion of values, also among young people, at a fundamental level,” Balt said. — Sapa