A school teacher at Tetelo Secondary School in Protea North, Soweto, is said to have beaten a Grade 11 female student 92 times for exceeding the number of words assigned to her for school work.
The Grade 11 class was tasked with writing a 150 word essay. However, it is reported that the student wrote 308 words, exceeding the required number of words. The teacher is said to have responded by saying that he would receive 158 lashes for not following the instructions.
It is suspected that the student was beaten so hard that other students promised to ask the teacher to give them 10 lashes each on his behalf. Because of this punishment that is said to be excessive, this student had blisters and blood clots on his left hand and had to be rushed to the hospital.
This incident has caused an uproar in the community as many are asking what are the appropriate methods of disciplining students and the laws related to beatings in schools. Disgruntled members of the community, including parents and unions, stormed the school on Wednesday demanding the removal of the teacher accused of assault. This incident shocked many, especially because caning is illegal in South African schools.