An assessment of the implementation of learner discipline policies in four high density secondary schools in the Graaff Reinet district, Eastern Cape.
- Authors: Bilatyi, Nkosana Carlon
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16218 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1018604 , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study assessed the implementation of learner discipline policies in the Graaff Reinet District in four township Secondary schools. The study arose as a result of the decline of learner discipline in secondary schools. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach in the collection of data. It employed triangulation to collect data and obtained valuable information on the implementation of learner discipline policies. Four township secondary schools in the Graaff Reinet District were purposively selected for the sample in this study. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups of learners and parents Data has revealed that schools were using different strategies to implement learner discipline such as Code of Conduct, Disciplinary hearing, Safety and Security Committee, Educators, Corporal Punishment, Alternative methods to Corporal Punishment and the role parents. Data revealed that there has been no success in implementing learner discipline strategies. There were a number of limitations in implementing policies to maintain learner disciplines which were identified in the study. There were inconsistencies like educators not supervising learners in detention classes, some of the educators were sabotaging the system by not putting into practice the measures and strategies which were put in place to maintain discipline and so forth. The School Management Teams did not capacitate the Representative Council of Learners so as to assist in the monitoring of discipline. The Department of Education is not supportive in the maintenance of discipline in the schools under study in Graaff Reinet District. To address disciplinary problems, the study has the following key recommendations Policies should be crafted by all stakeholders for ownership and there should be collaboration in implementation of those policies.. The Code of Conduct should be issued to all learners at the school at the beginning of the year in the language of preference, with school rules. Learners should know the consequences of transgressing the Code of Conduct. SMTs should adopt different management styles so as to take action against educators who are failing the system of maintaining discipline. Educators should realise that it is their duty to maintain discipline in schools; therefore they should stop complaining about disciplinary problems. Educators should engage the Department of Education to conduct workshops in building capacity of educators to maintain learner discipline. Schools should establish partnerships with other sister Departments such as SAPS, Social Development, Correctional Services, Health to, maintain learner discipline.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Bilatyi, Nkosana Carlon
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16218 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1018604 , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Corporal punishment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study assessed the implementation of learner discipline policies in the Graaff Reinet District in four township Secondary schools. The study arose as a result of the decline of learner discipline in secondary schools. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach in the collection of data. It employed triangulation to collect data and obtained valuable information on the implementation of learner discipline policies. Four township secondary schools in the Graaff Reinet District were purposively selected for the sample in this study. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups of learners and parents Data has revealed that schools were using different strategies to implement learner discipline such as Code of Conduct, Disciplinary hearing, Safety and Security Committee, Educators, Corporal Punishment, Alternative methods to Corporal Punishment and the role parents. Data revealed that there has been no success in implementing learner discipline strategies. There were a number of limitations in implementing policies to maintain learner disciplines which were identified in the study. There were inconsistencies like educators not supervising learners in detention classes, some of the educators were sabotaging the system by not putting into practice the measures and strategies which were put in place to maintain discipline and so forth. The School Management Teams did not capacitate the Representative Council of Learners so as to assist in the monitoring of discipline. The Department of Education is not supportive in the maintenance of discipline in the schools under study in Graaff Reinet District. To address disciplinary problems, the study has the following key recommendations Policies should be crafted by all stakeholders for ownership and there should be collaboration in implementation of those policies.. The Code of Conduct should be issued to all learners at the school at the beginning of the year in the language of preference, with school rules. Learners should know the consequences of transgressing the Code of Conduct. SMTs should adopt different management styles so as to take action against educators who are failing the system of maintaining discipline. Educators should realise that it is their duty to maintain discipline in schools; therefore they should stop complaining about disciplinary problems. Educators should engage the Department of Education to conduct workshops in building capacity of educators to maintain learner discipline. Schools should establish partnerships with other sister Departments such as SAPS, Social Development, Correctional Services, Health to, maintain learner discipline.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Relations of family and school attachment to forms of learner violence in secondary school communities in Amathole education district, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Ncube, Thembinkosi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: vital:16166 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/504 , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Adolescents in the schools in South Africa have been victims of many social problems such as violence and crime as a result of background influence. They have been both victims and perpetrators of this violence. Problems of attachment to both school and home have always been blamed for the adolescents’ deviance. South African schools are affected by this verbal and physical violence which presumably emanates from learners poor connections with school and home. The background of societies such as economic deprivation has also been presumed to have an impact on the way adolescents conduct themselves in schools. There is no research that has verified the correlation between violence and attachment to bases of attachment - home and school in South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape Province. A survey was conducted in more than ten schools in the Amathole District where 317 learners’ opinions on their observation of cases of verbal and physical violence in their schools, and on their attachment to both home and school were collected through a 40 item questionnaire. The questionnaire had five sections (a) to (e). The first section (a) required learners to enter their biographical information; gender, age, grade, and quintile classification. The second section (b) required learners to rate their attachment to their homes and to their care givers. The third section (c) required learners to rate their connectedness to their schools. The fourth section (d) required learners to supply information on their observation and involvement in verbal violence. The final section (e) with items adopted from section (d) and customised required learners to rate their observation and involvement in physical violence. Descriptive statistics were used to glean frequencies and the overall levels of attachment and violence amongst learners. The study also looked at significant differences in attachment (both family and school) and violence (both verbal and physical) using gender and socio-economic profiles of the learners and schools (quintile system) as sorting or categorising variables. One major finding which is contrary to most theory and may be as a result of social dynamics is that statistics suggested that gender and socio-economic variables had little bearing on violence and attachment. Through the use of SPSS, the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were calculated to answer the sub-questions on the relationship between family and school attachment, and school violence (both verbal and physical). There were notable negative and positive correlations between school attachment and verbal violence; for example there was a positive correlation between teachers making learners hate school and learner-involvement in swearing. There was also a negative correlation between school buildings making learners proud and schools and homes being to blame for the frequency of verbal violence in the schools. There were also notable correlations between attachment to family and verbal violence such as the correlation between the frustration by parents’ lack of concern and learners’ involvement in verbal violence without any clear reason. With regard to physical violence there was a negative correlation between parents having time to discuss life with their children and the frequency of physical violence in the schools. There was however a negative correlation between one’s pride in one’s school and the blame on schools for instigating school violence. From these correlations implications for school violence prevention could be drawn. The study reveals that a lot needs to be done by the schools, parents, the government, and the community to enhance learner attachment to both school and home. However, for all the stake holders to succeed government must take the leading role in speeding up the process of reducing poverty in the communities. This is premised on the fact that some findings reveal that frequency of violence increases in an environment of frustration and anger. Schools as care-givers can also introduce many interventions such as counselling workshops to equip teachers with professional crisis management. The research may encourage the Department of Education and schools to adopt violence prevention programs implemented in countries (like United States of America’s Olweus bullying and violence prevention program) for use in bringing communities together to work against school violence. These findings might strengthen the South African Department of Education’s Safe Schools Programs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Ncube, Thembinkosi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: vital:16166 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/504 , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Adolescents in the schools in South Africa have been victims of many social problems such as violence and crime as a result of background influence. They have been both victims and perpetrators of this violence. Problems of attachment to both school and home have always been blamed for the adolescents’ deviance. South African schools are affected by this verbal and physical violence which presumably emanates from learners poor connections with school and home. The background of societies such as economic deprivation has also been presumed to have an impact on the way adolescents conduct themselves in schools. There is no research that has verified the correlation between violence and attachment to bases of attachment - home and school in South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape Province. A survey was conducted in more than ten schools in the Amathole District where 317 learners’ opinions on their observation of cases of verbal and physical violence in their schools, and on their attachment to both home and school were collected through a 40 item questionnaire. The questionnaire had five sections (a) to (e). The first section (a) required learners to enter their biographical information; gender, age, grade, and quintile classification. The second section (b) required learners to rate their attachment to their homes and to their care givers. The third section (c) required learners to rate their connectedness to their schools. The fourth section (d) required learners to supply information on their observation and involvement in verbal violence. The final section (e) with items adopted from section (d) and customised required learners to rate their observation and involvement in physical violence. Descriptive statistics were used to glean frequencies and the overall levels of attachment and violence amongst learners. The study also looked at significant differences in attachment (both family and school) and violence (both verbal and physical) using gender and socio-economic profiles of the learners and schools (quintile system) as sorting or categorising variables. One major finding which is contrary to most theory and may be as a result of social dynamics is that statistics suggested that gender and socio-economic variables had little bearing on violence and attachment. Through the use of SPSS, the Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were calculated to answer the sub-questions on the relationship between family and school attachment, and school violence (both verbal and physical). There were notable negative and positive correlations between school attachment and verbal violence; for example there was a positive correlation between teachers making learners hate school and learner-involvement in swearing. There was also a negative correlation between school buildings making learners proud and schools and homes being to blame for the frequency of verbal violence in the schools. There were also notable correlations between attachment to family and verbal violence such as the correlation between the frustration by parents’ lack of concern and learners’ involvement in verbal violence without any clear reason. With regard to physical violence there was a negative correlation between parents having time to discuss life with their children and the frequency of physical violence in the schools. There was however a negative correlation between one’s pride in one’s school and the blame on schools for instigating school violence. From these correlations implications for school violence prevention could be drawn. The study reveals that a lot needs to be done by the schools, parents, the government, and the community to enhance learner attachment to both school and home. However, for all the stake holders to succeed government must take the leading role in speeding up the process of reducing poverty in the communities. This is premised on the fact that some findings reveal that frequency of violence increases in an environment of frustration and anger. Schools as care-givers can also introduce many interventions such as counselling workshops to equip teachers with professional crisis management. The research may encourage the Department of Education and schools to adopt violence prevention programs implemented in countries (like United States of America’s Olweus bullying and violence prevention program) for use in bringing communities together to work against school violence. These findings might strengthen the South African Department of Education’s Safe Schools Programs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The role of school discipline in combating violence in schools in the East London region
- Authors: Smit, Marie Elizabeth
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16164 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/224 , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study focuses on the role of discipline in the establishment and maintenance of a safe school environment for learners and educators. In a mainly qualitative investigation, empirical data from four primary schools and five high schools in the East London Region of the Eastern Cape Province were collected by means of individual interviews and questionnaires. Historico-legal research also formed part of the literature review, thus law reports and articles from South Africa and other countries were included as part of the research process. This was done to shed light on the legal consequences of school violence and discipline, affecting the safe learning environment of learners. Perceptions of educators and learners in the selected schools regarding discipline and violence at their schools were collected by means of a survey. Three hundred and thirty questionnaires were completed by learners from the selected schools, and nine interviews were conducted with either the principal or a member of the senior management team of each school. The researcher also conducted further in-depth interviews with twenty learners from four schools (two primary and two high schools). These data were analysed in accordance with accepted procedures for qualitative data processing. The data revealed that a culture of violence exists in these schools, and that corporal punishment is still practised. Learners’ perceptions on safety and discipline at their schools revealed that bullying persists, especially when there is no teacher supervision. Participating educators’ experiences suggested the need for promoting positive discipline, and creating a safe learning environment for all, by involving parents in the education process and involving them in drawing up a code of conduct for the school.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Smit, Marie Elizabeth
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16164 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/224 , School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study focuses on the role of discipline in the establishment and maintenance of a safe school environment for learners and educators. In a mainly qualitative investigation, empirical data from four primary schools and five high schools in the East London Region of the Eastern Cape Province were collected by means of individual interviews and questionnaires. Historico-legal research also formed part of the literature review, thus law reports and articles from South Africa and other countries were included as part of the research process. This was done to shed light on the legal consequences of school violence and discipline, affecting the safe learning environment of learners. Perceptions of educators and learners in the selected schools regarding discipline and violence at their schools were collected by means of a survey. Three hundred and thirty questionnaires were completed by learners from the selected schools, and nine interviews were conducted with either the principal or a member of the senior management team of each school. The researcher also conducted further in-depth interviews with twenty learners from four schools (two primary and two high schools). These data were analysed in accordance with accepted procedures for qualitative data processing. The data revealed that a culture of violence exists in these schools, and that corporal punishment is still practised. Learners’ perceptions on safety and discipline at their schools revealed that bullying persists, especially when there is no teacher supervision. Participating educators’ experiences suggested the need for promoting positive discipline, and creating a safe learning environment for all, by involving parents in the education process and involving them in drawing up a code of conduct for the school.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
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