A groundbreaking Statistics South Africa report, unveiled during Child Protection Week, has placed a spotlight on a disturbing reality within the nation’s classrooms: teachers are now cited more frequently than peers as sources of violence against learners. The comprehensive 2024 data indicates that over 1.1 million school-going children, aged five and above, have experienced some form of violence within school premises.
Yolisa Piliso, a researcher with the advocacy group Equal Education, described the findings as deeply alarming and reflective of a persistent, worsening crisis. “Over the years, if you look at the pattern of reported violence that learners are experiencing, we are much more likely to see this data increasing over time,” Piliso noted, emphasizing that the safety of learners remains a critical concern for the organization.
The report’s revelation that educators are prominent perpetrators raises urgent legal and ethical questions. Corporal punishment was formally banned in South African schools in 1996 through Section 10 of the South African Schools Act. More recently, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act has broadened the legal definition of corporal punishment to encompass verbal abuse. Despite this legislative framework, Piliso pointed to a significant implementation gap. “There’s a big disjuncture in terms of practice and the law,” Piliso stated, calling for stronger enforcement and accountability mechanisms.
The vulnerability of the youngest learners emerged as a particularly distressing finding. Children between the ages of five and eight were identified as being at high risk for physical violence in school settings. Piliso connected this local data to a global context, referencing a World Health Organization report that found over 1.2 million children worldwide report experiencing violence and corporal punishment. “It can no longer be accepted that learners, especially of that age, are subjected to this,” Piliso asserted.
Addressing the root causes requires moving beyond simplistic explanations. While discipline is sometimes invoked to justify physical correction, Piliso clarified that many reported incidents—including sexual assault and misconduct by educators—fall entirely outside any disciplinary context. “It cannot use discipline as a reference to the use of violence in our schools,” Piliso explained, arguing that school-based violence often reflects broader societal norms that tolerate aggression against children.
A central recommendation from Equal Education is a fundamental shift in how society views children. “Society needs to get to a point where we understand and see children as autonomous right holders,” Piliso said. “If children can be afforded dignity and understanding of their rights equal to adults, I doubt we’ll continue to see much violence persisting in our schools and communities.”
Practical steps for mitigation focus on both systemic reform and community-level action. Key proposals include:
- Closing the enforcement gap: Ensuring existing laws, including the expanded definition of prohibited punishment, are actively implemented and monitored.
- Strengthening reporting channels: Creating safe, accessible pathways for learners and parents to report abuse without fear of reprisal.
- Mandating psychosocial support: The Department of Basic Education must prioritize integrating counseling and trauma support services within schools to aid affected learners and help prevent escalation.
- Empowering local governance: School Governing Bodies should be supported to develop, adopt, and enforce clear anti-violence policies tailored to their specific contexts.
- Cultivating a culture of care: Moving beyond punitive approaches to foster educational environments built on mutual respect, dignity, and proactive support for both learners and educators.
Piliso stressed that sustainable change must be driven from within school communities. “The first point of dealing with violence is not going to come mainly from the provincial education department or the Department of Basic Education itself, but it’s the culture within the school communities,” Piliso explained. Central to this is reviving the principle that “learning and teaching is happening with care,” a policy ideal from the DBE that remains inconsistently realized.
With frustration reported among both teachers and students, the spokesperson highlighted that a breakdown in respectful relationships fuels the cycle of harm. “There is no regard to care and promotion of the culture of respect and caring for each other,” Piliso observed.
As the nation digests these findings, the report serves as a critical benchmark for action. The convergence of robust data, existing legal tools, and clear advocacy recommendations presents a roadmap for protecting learners. The imperative now, according to Equal Education, is translating policy into practice to ensure every child can learn in an environment free from violence.