Moyo’s
remarks
follow
concerns
that
teachers
feel
powerless
when
it
comes
to
maintaining
discipline
in
schools,
with
some
primary
school
students
reportedly
bullying
their
teachers
under
the
guise
of
asserting
their
rights.
In
response
to
a
trade
unionist
calling
for
the
reinstatement
of
corporal
punishment,
Moyo
acknowledged
that
the
classroom
environment
has
become
challenging,
with
teachers
lacking
the
authority
necessary
to
enforce
discipline
effectively.
Wrote
Moyo:
“I
truly
wonder
if
we
haven’t
erred
too
far
in
the
name
of
progress.
The
classroom,
once
a
place
of
order
and
respect,
has
become
a
battleground
where
teachers
our
frontline
Educators
are
stripped
of
the
authority
to
instill
discipline.“We
are
witnessing
a
troubling
shift
a
Grade
7
learner
now
dares
to
bully
a
Teacher,
invoking
‘rights’
without
understanding
responsibility.“Let
us
be
honest.
The
erosion
of
discipline
in
our
schools
is
not
just
an
Educational
issue
it
is
a
societal
one.“Broken
families,
Economic
Hardship,
and
the
loss
of
communal
values
have
left
many
children
without
guidance.“The
Teacher,
once
supported
by
the
Community,
now
stands
alone.”
Moyo
clarified
that
he
is
not
advocating
for
violence
but
believes
authorities
should
reconsider
the
methods
that
once
contributed
to
shaping
responsible
citizens.
He
added:
“A
‘stick
in
time
saves
nine,’
as
our
elders
say.
This
is
not
about
punishment.
It
is
about
correction,
about
restoring
balance.“Many
of
our
Traditional
Leaders
and
fellow
Lawmakers
have
echoed
this
call.
We
must
explore
a
legal
framework
that
allows
for
Firm,
Fair
Discipline
without
abuse.“Let
us
not
allow
misguided
interpretations
of
rights
to
dismantle
the
very
foundation
of
learning.
Discipline
is
not
Oppression
it
is
preparation
for
life.“And
if
we
do
not
act
now,
we
risk
raising
a
generation
that
respects
neither
Authority
nor
Consequence.”
A
High
Court
ruling
in
2017
declared
corporal
punishment
of
children,
both
in
schools
and
at
home,
unconstitutional,
citing
the
Constitution’s
protection
against
cruel,
inhuman,
or
degrading
treatment.
The
Education
Amendment
Act
(2020)
aligned
the
law
more
closely
with
the
High
Court’s
ruling.
It
explicitly
prohibits
teachers
from
using
corporal
punishment
on
students
and
affirms
that
children
must
not
be
subjected
to
any
form
of
physical
or
psychological
torture,
or
to
cruel,
inhuman,
or
degrading
treatment
while
at
school.
Despite
the
legal
prohibition,
reports
indicate
that
corporal
punishment
has
not
been
entirely
eradicated,
as
cultural
and
traditional
attitudes
toward
discipline
sometimes
conflict
with
the
law.