MEC Panyaza Lesufi wants kids to be beaten in schools

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said he wants a “strong review” of laws that prohibit corporal punishment at schools.

He made these comments while meeting parents at the Fred Norman Secondary School in Ennerdale, Johannesburg, on Tuesday.

The school made headlines after one of its teachers told a pupil’s grandmother that she “did not like coloureds”. She also called the grandmother “trash”.

Fred Norman School. @DBE_SA @_AngieMotshekga @Lesufi
why is this teacher not suspended. Why is she allowed to make racist remarks and still hold onto her job. Or do you want the community to take matters into their own hands. @HermanMashaba @john_moodey @BonganiBaloyiBB pic.twitter.com/19vReJNTcp

— Earl Thomas (@EarlTho71927378) August 15, 2022

During the meeting, Lesufi was asked how discipline could be brought back to schools.

“When you say discipline, you say the cane. Let’s be honest, you are putting it nicely, it’s the cane, and I say if the government is a government of people, it must listen to the people,” he said.

He said when corporal punishment was outlawed, the government expected school pupils to be well-behaved.

“I am saying we passed these laws because we had a vision of pupils who are well behaved. We never thought we will have these kinds of pupils when the law was passed.”

Lesufi, however, seemed to be aware that his comments were controversial.

“But I am for the strong review of that. I know I differ with many people, I differ with human rights people. If you can’t install the authority of the teacher, you have no education,” he added.

Despite appearing to defend the teacher, Lesufi said the Gauteng Education Department has removed her from the school.

Lesufi said the teacher has been “precautionarily removed” while an investigation gets underway.

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