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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture yesterday conducted its third public hearing in Bulawayo, with parents saying the government must permit corporal punishment in schools.

Presenting their views to the committee at Mzilikazi High School yesterday, parents bemoaned an outright ban on corporal punishment, saying it was unsuitable for the Zimbabwean context and not in sync with our culture and values.

They said it should be reintroduced to restore order in the schools and instil a spirit of discipline among the pupils.

“We want corporal punishment to be re-introduced because pupils can be uncontrollable and it is only corporal punishment that can tame them and groom them into responsible young people,” said Fisokuhle Mabhena.

“We all went through the same system and we never complained. It actually helped most people who are responsible citizens today. These are our future leaders and we don’t want them to be spoiled.”

Rodney Moyo concurred with Mabhena, saying corporal punishment was in line with the country values.

“If we can beat our children at home as parents, we should also allow the teachers to do so because these children spend more time in school and receive most of their life skills and training there. It should, however, be clear on how the teachers should do it so that teachers don’t cross the line and end up injuring or abusing the pupils,” said Moyo.

Both parents and teachers rejected the distribution of condoms in schools, saying it was culturally incorrect and would have a negative impact on society. “We know that we’re living in a dynamic world with things changing every day, but we shouldn’t allow our culture to change because of pressures from other countries. Distributing condoms in schools is like sending a message to the pupils that they can engage in sexual activities, including those who were not planning to do so,” said Sinikiwe Ncube.

One parent, however, argued that it was an unfortunate fact that pupils were sexually active and said condoms would help protect them from HIV and Aids.

Other issues that were discussed at the hearing included the education curriculum review, examination leaks, the use of local languages and the use of mobile phones in schools.

Teachers lamented the serious shortage of infrastructure, especially in government schools, saying it was not in tandem with the increasing numbers of pupils.

They said the teacher-pupil ratios were compromising the performance of both the teachers and pupils, thereby negatively affecting their results in academic and non-academic fields.

Teachers also condemned the abrupt changes that were being introduced by the government, saying they wanted to be consulted first before any changes or policies are implemented.

The chairperson of the committee, Never Khanye, who is also the Matobo North National Assembly member, said the committee was seeking to find solutions to all the challenges affecting the primary and secondary education sector in the country.

“I’m impressed with the response from members of the public and I’m happy that they are giving us suggestions on how to tackle some of the challenges in the education system,” he said.

“After the hearings, we’ll compile our findings and invite other line ministries for comments before we table them to the House for deliberation.”

He said they have been to Mutare and Masvingo and will proceed to Gweru and Kariba.