14/08/2025
𝗕𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗨 𝗦𝗚 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗻
The Secretary General of the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), Tobokani Rari, has raised serious concerns about escalating indiscipline and chaos in schools following the government’s hard stance against corporal punishment.
Speaking in response to a noticeable increase in student misbehavior, Rari pointed to a directive issued by the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, led by Minister Kgafela Mokoka, which officially bans the use of corporal punishment in schools. The ban, he noted, was later publicly supported by President Duma Boko, who has expressed his opposition to the practice.
Rari explained that following these developments, a savingram was issued by the Permanent Secretary instructing schools that corporal punishment was no longer supported by government policy.
In response, BOSETU advised its members particularly classroom teachers to stop administering corporal punishment altogether to avoid potential disciplinary measures from their employer.
“We told our teachers not to apply corporal punishment because government is against it, and using it could land them in trouble,” Rari said.
“There are ongoing court cases where government took teachers to court for this, including one involving Sir Seretse Khama Junior School and another at Mathomo Junior Secondary School, where teachers are now facing disciplinary hearings.”
Rari stated that since the practice was stopped, schools have descended into increasing disorder. He described incidents where students physically fought teachers, brought drugs to school, and engaged in disruptive behavior that has deeply affected the teaching and learning environment.
“After stopping corporal punishment, we’re seeing chaos in schools,” he said. “This includes student aggression, drug use, and general lack of discipline situations that never used to be this common.”
While BOSETU does not advocate for the indefinite continuation of corporal punishment, Rari criticized the government for removing it without introducing any effective alternative disciplinary systems.
“If the government wants to move away from corporal punishment, they must at least bring in strong guidance and counselling programmes,” Rari argued.
“We’ve moved away from what used to be a deterrent, but failed to implement the necessary support systems to maintain discipline.”
