The Professional Educators’ Union (PEU) has noted with shock and sense of disbelief on the “Hit back  campaign” by COSAS, directed at teachers who allegedly apply corporal punishment to learners.

PEU views this as hard and tough stand, alien to our society, with far reaching implications on our country’s social moral fibre. This simply depict how entrenched is the culture of intolerance and the bankruptcy  of social dialogue in our society.

It can’t be imagined, even for a moment, to watch our schools degenerating into battle fields than fountains of knowledge for communities. It is disconcerting to note that this comes at a time when our society is already bedeviled by violence and as such, tendencies of this caliber will invariably pave way for nefarious activities by crime syndicates.

It must be noted that corporal punishment has been long abolished in schools and there is no question about, but it can’t be right to expect two wrongs turn into right. The leadership of COSAS should know better, that an eye for an eye will simply make our country blind.

PEU therefore makes a clarion call for a voice of reason, as an abler to COSAS, to provide leadership at all material times and never allow agitation to blot their rational thinking.

We have to always take a leaf from Forerunners of our Liberation struggle, who chose the path of a negotiated Settlement over bloodshed , to defeat the inhuman and brutal system of apartheid.

ISSUED BY: THE GENERAL SECRETARY – BEN  MACHIPI