Martin
Chaburumunda,
president
of
the
Zimbabwe
Rural
Teachers’
Union
(ZRTU),
argued
that
the
prohibition
has
left
teachers
powerless,
restricting
their
ability
to
shape
and
maintain
disciplined
classrooms.
Said
Chaburumunda:
“The
banning
of
corporal
punishment
has
caused
discipline
issues
to
rise
in
schools.“Discipline
is
a
cornerstone
of
education.
Moderate
disciplinary
measures
are
necessary
in
schools.“We
have
a
new
problem
of
drug
and
substance
abuse
in
schools,
and
with
no
teacher
control
over
learners,
it
will
be
difficult
to
fight
it.“Right
now,
teachers
are
treading
very
cautiously
when
reprimanding
learners
because
they
fear
being
accused
of
infringing
on
pupils’
rights.”
Charles
Musembwa,
Manicaland
provincial
coordinator
for
the
Progressive
Teachers’
Union
of
Zimbabwe
(PTUZ),
argued
that
the
ban
on
corporal
punishment
should
have
been
paired
with
an
alternative
disciplinary
tool
to
maintain
control
over
pupils.
Musembwa
lamented
that
learners
now
know
they
can
misbehave
with
impunity,
including
engaging
in
risky
activities.
However,
Primary
and
Secondary
Education
Minister
Torerai
Moyo
recently
warned
school
heads
in
Mutare
that
any
use
of
corporal
punishment
would
carry
serious
consequences.
Moyo
reiterated
that
the
ban
remains
firmly
in
place
but
suggested
that
those
in
favour
of
reintroducing
it
should
petition
the
House
of
Assembly
and
lobby
parliamentarians.
He
said:
“Let
me
remind
you
that
corporal
punishment
is
still
outlawed.
No
learner
should
be
beaten
at
school.“I
have
been
a
teacher
myself,
and
I
used
to
beat
a
lot
of
learners.
Upon
reflection
later
on
in
life,
I
realised
it
was
wrong
to
beat
them.
I
do
not
remember
beating
my
own
children.“Those
who
feel
corporal
punishment
should
be
restored
are
free
to
petition
Parliament,
stating
their
reasons,
but
as
of
now,
it
is
banned.“Headmasters,
as
leaders,
identify
those
learners
who
have
a
habit
of
partaking
in
drugs
so
that
remedial
action
is
taken.”
The
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education
recently
issued
new
guidelines
making
it
clear
that
hitting
pupils
is
strictly
forbidden.
The
rules
stress
the
importance
of
respecting
learners’
dignity
and
promoting
alternative
forms
of
discipline,
such
as
counselling
and
guided
reflection.
Teachers
who
break
the
ban
could
face
disciplinary
measures
or
even
criminal
charges.