Discipline and the implementation of
(Motseke, in Marumo 2015:18). Discipline is very important in education as it is the key instrument that ensures that there is order in the whole process of teaching and learning (Mulaudzi &
Mudzielwana 2016:7519). Without good discipline, there can be no conducive teaching and learning environment in schools. The claim, therefore, that discipline levels dropped in South African schools after the introduction of ATCP is a cause for concern as it implies a deterioration in teaching and learning in schools.
In the United States, debates about corporal punishment continue, as there are states that still use it as a disciplinary measure, whereas some states have abolished it and are in support of ATCP. Similarly, in African countries, such as Kenya, even though corporal punishment has been banned, there are some teachers that use it (Mwenda 2016:232). In Israel, a study conducted by Kassabri and Harush (2012:275) showed that teachers use both punitive and non-punitive measures when disciplining learners because they neither have the knowledge nor the skills to effectively implement alternative measures to discipline learners. The same problem is experienced in Sudan where despite the teachers knowing about the official ban of corporal punishment and the negative effects of corporal punishment on learner behaviour, they still fail to use the available ATCP measures as they prefer corporal punishment when disciplining learners (Elbla 2012:1662). Learners, however, are totally opposed to the use of corporal punishment, as it develops in them an element of fear, low self-esteem and lack of motivation to learn (Elbla 2012:1661). Corporal punishment tends to have short-term rather than long-term behaviour modification effects.
As Elbla (2012:1657) points out, learners may display good behaviour in the presence of a teacher who has disciplined them, but fail to display prolonged disciplined behaviour in the absence of the teacher.
According to Burke and Sutherland (2014:62), in Jamaica, corporal punishment is viewed as the rightful, culturally and biblically correct way to discipline learners. However, it is also important to note that one key point emphasised by Burke and
Sutherland in their study is that there are still debates about appropriate disciplinary measures, as it is believed by some that ATCP measures are a preferable form of discipline as they discourage violence amongst the children.
In India, even though corporal punishment has been officially banned, various forms of corporal punishment are still being used. According to Cheruvalath and Tripathi (2015:131), although some teachers are in favour of corporal punishment, teachers in private schools are able to manage learner behaviour through ATCP.
The problem of successfully implementing ATCP measures is also experienced in countries such as Taiwan where teachers have encountered serious problems of maintaining discipline since the banning of corporal punishment. Therefore, teachers have resorted to using corporal punishment, and this has resulted in some of them being prosecuted. Other teachers have resigned owing to pressure from learners’ parents (Lwo & Yuan 2011:7).
Even though parents in Taiwan are not happy with the use of corporal punishment to discipline learners, Kindiki (2015:72) maintains that both teachers and parents in Kenya are not in favour of the abolishment of corporal punishment. The basis for their argument is that after the banning of corporal punishment, ATCP provided were insufficient. As a result, both teachers and parents developed a negative attitude towards this policy. In Zimbabwe, permission must be granted by the school head for a teacher to discipline learners by using corporal punishment.
Teachers, however, often punish learners without the headmaster’s permission (Shumba, Ndofirepi & Musengi 2012:285).
In South Africa, ATCP measures were introduced in schools several years ago, but teachers are still finding it hard to maintain discipline by using these (Marais & Meier 2010:41).
Problems encountered in connection with the implementation of ATCP internationally are also experienced in South Africa. The main reason cited for the problem of implementation is insufficient training. As a result, some teachers still firmly believe in the use
of corporal punishment to discipline learners, whereas some rely on ATCP (Motseke 2010:130). Other research findings also show that many teachers have not been trained on how to effectively discipline learners through the use of ATCP (Busienei 2012:158;
Mulaudzi & Mudzielwana 2016:7522). They still support corporal punishment and still use it as a disciplinary measure. Some teachers are also under the impression that ‘discipline’ and
‘punishment’ mean the same. As a result, they tend to punish learners instead of ‘disciplining’ them (Joubert & Serakwane 2009:120; Maphosa & Mammen 2011:220).
Teachers are key implementers of policy and they are the key role-players when it comes to maintaining discipline in schools.
Teachers also play an important role in developing schools’
policies, classroom rules with learners and handling of administrative matters related to discipline amongst others (Ntuli & Machaisa 2014:1784). Therefore, inadequate consultation with teachers on ATCP may have contributed to challenges of implementation currently being experienced in schools.
Alternative forms of learner discipline are in essence non- punitive forms of discipline premised on the idea of positive behaviour management or Positive Discipline (PD). The study on the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding ATCP is based on the assumption that after more than 20 years of the banning of corporal punishment in South Africa, and the introduction of alternative forms of discipline, there would be certain perceptions regarding its implementation and use from those directly affected by it, namely, teachers and learners.
Problem statement
Maintaining positive learner behaviour in schools without infringing upon learners’ rights to ‘respect and human dignity’
calls for positive disciplinary measures such as those provided by ATCP. However, research has showed that even these alternatives have proved to be less effective (Moyo et al. 2014:7; Ntuli &
Machaisa 2014:1788). Many of the studies that have been conducted on the effectiveness of ATCP have used teachers and parents in their samples. Hardly any studies have looked at the problem from the perspectives of learners who are recipients of this PD. This study therefore introduces a much neglected perspective, namely, that of learners. The combination of learners’
and teachers’ perceptions has the potential to add valuable insight into the problem and to bring in the often neglected voices of learners. It is against this background that the investigation reported in this chapter examined teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of ATCP measures by seeking to answer the following questions:
• what are the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding the implementation of ATCP in schools?
• What are the views of teachers and learners regarding the effectiveness of ATCP in schools?