Poor discipline in public schools has become a major concern following the abolishment of corporal punishment by the National Department of Education. The educators in schools were left with no constructive alternatives to maintain discipline by the educational authorities and had to find and implement alternative disciplinary measures. Ill-disciplined learners capitalised on the situation, resulting in the deterioration of discipline in public schools. The aim of this research is to identify how effective SGBs are regarding the maintenance of discipline in schools situated in poor socio-economic areas. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Different data-collection techniques, in the form of questionnaires, focus group interviews, observations and documentary analysis, were used to obtain the necessary data. Learners, educators and parent members of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) were used as participants for the study. The findings of the study indicated that parent SGB members lacks relevant and ongoing training and development for the task of executing their roles as disciplinarian bodies at their respective schools. The fact that these are lacking have contributed to the general deterioration of school discipline in the selected schools. The study concludes with suggestions on strategies that SGBs can implement to improve their capacity in improving and maintaining discipline. Such improved capacity will create an environment that is conducive for teaching and learning, especially in schools situated in impoverished areas.

M. Tech. Education / The aim of the study is to identify the causes and challenges incurred from late coming in some selected high schools around Soshanguve with a view to providing solution to the problem within the province. Interviews were conducted with all the participants with the use of structured questionnaire and a review of document (class attendance records and late coming records book). The participants were also observed in their natural settings. Participants in the study were leaners from Grades 7 - 12, educators and principals from the selected schools.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is true, to say that education in Venda in the Northern Province was experiencing and is still experiencing problems. Many schools in Venda - primary and secondary schools - have lost their vision. Statistics reveal that there is a large number of failures and dropouts at these schools with discipline dropping in almost all schools. Learners are no longer committed, they go to school late, they do not wear uniforms, they are not prepared to devote time and energy to their studies. They boycott classes and spend long periods of time not attending lessons. Daily classroom routines no longer receive their utmost attention, homework is not done resulting in many failing their examinations every year. In some of the schools, especially in the secondary schools, many learners are arrogant. They no longer respect their teachers and some schools have developed into battlefield - learners carry weapons such as guns to schools, they stab their teachers and principals with pangas and they also fight each other. The Research has revealed that many learners are unprepared for the responsibilities of being a student. On the other hand teachers also embark on strikes, sit-ins and chalk downs as some teachers are no longer loyal to their profession. They go to work late and leave early. At the end of the month they do not even go to work, while those that go, sometimes are unprepared for their lessons. Child (learners) abuse is also rife in some schools. There are also areas in the Province where learners do not receive stationeries, textbooks and prescribed books during the course of the year. Some learners are still taught in shanties built by the communities while some learners in the rural areas are still being taught outside, under trees. The research revealed that the situation which is prevailing in schools in the Venda area can be remedied by better relationship between the different stakeholders : parents, teachers, learners, Department, communities and churches. Of all the stakeholders, the parent is regarded as the primary educator since all others like . teachers, the Education Department, communities, churches etc. are assisting the parents in the task entrusted to them by God. The results also revealed that many parents in Venda do not participate in the education of their children causing poor results, high dropouts rate and the absence of discipline in the schools. Therefore, the role of parents in values education with special reference to the situation in Venda is significant. The effective involvement of the parents in these situations can be the best remedy. They are the most important stakeholders in creating conducive teaching and learning atmosphere. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word beweer dat onderwys in Venda, in die Noordelike Provinsie verskeie probleme in skole ervaar het en nogs steeds ervaar. Heelwat skole in Venda; primêr sowel as sekondêr, het hulle doelstellings ten opsigte van gesag, dissipline, leerdoelsteIlinge in die klaskamer en samewerking met ouers verloor. Statistieke bring aan die lig dat skole te doen het met In hoë druipsyfer, onderpresteerders, uitsakkers en vroeë skoolverlating. Gesag en dissipline verval in byna al die skole. Leerlinge is nie meer entoesiasties en toegewyd in hulle skoolwerk nie. Laatkommery is algemeen, hulle dra nie meer die voorgeskrewe skooldrag nie en hulle is nie bereid om hulle tyd en energie aan hulle studies te bestee nie. Leerlinge boikot hulle klasse en bry weg van die lesperiodes. Huiswerk end opdragte word geignoreer en die eindresultaat is dat baie leerlinge jaarliks druip. Verwaantheid onder leerlinge kom veral in die sekondêre skole voor. Leerlinge respekteer nie meer hulle onderwysers nie en die probleem het al so handuitgeruk dat sommige skole in In oorlogsveld ontaard het. Onderwysers en medeleerlinge se veiligheid word bedreig deur wapens wat skool toe gebring word. Voorvalle waar onderwysers en hoofde met messe gesteek is, het al voorgekom. Gevegte onder leerlinge is algemeen. Die ondersoek/navorsing het verder aan die lig gebring, dat, leerlinge nog nie gereed is om as verantwoordelike studente op te tree nie. Leiding en gesag is steeds nodig. Leerlinge kan egter nie alleen verantwoordelik gehou word vir hierdie probleme nie. Onderwysers neem ook deel aan wegblyaksies, daag laat by die skoolop, is onvoorbereid vir hulle dagtaak, verlaat die skool sonder toestemming en kom nie skool toe aan die einde van die maand nie. Mishandeling van leerlinge kom in sommige skole voor. In sekere gebiede in die Provinsie ontvang leerlinge nie betyds skryfbehoeftes, handboeke en voorgeskrewe boeke nie. Sommige skole ontvang geen boeke gedurende die jaar nie. Sommige leerlinge ontvang nog steeds onderrig in vervalle klaskamers wat lank gelede deur die gemeenskap gebou is, terwyl leerlinge in die landelike gedeeltes van Venda nog steeds onderrig buite onder die bome ontvang. Die ondersoek het aangetoon dat hierdie situasies wat in die skole in Venda heers herstel kan word deur 'n beter verhouding tussen die verskillende insethouers nl. ouers, onderwysers, leerlinge, die Department, gemeenskap en kerke te skep. Ouers word nog steeds beskou as die primêre opvoeders en word bygestaan en ondersteun deur die verskillende insethouers in hulle Godgegewe opvoedingstaak. Verdere resultate van die ondersoek toon aan dat baie ouers in Venda nie deel het aan die opvoeding van hulle kinders nie en dit lei tot swak eksamenuitslae, swak dissipline en vroeë skoolverlating in skole. Daarom is die rol van die ouer in die opvoeding van waardes met spesiale verwysing na die probleemsituasie in skole in Venda belangrik.

Education within South Africa has undergone significant change within a short period of time. This change has primarily been written in terms of human rights and the equitable distribution of educational resources. This has necessitated a paradigm shift for many teachers and the study explores some of the factors that have prevented teachers from experiencing a paradigm shift. The introduction of the South African Schools Act of 1996 heralded the start of the complete abolition of corporal punishment within all South African schools. The object of this investigation was to explore teachers' attitudes towards the abolition of corporal punishment and the factors that would contribute towards their attitude. The research explored whether the attitude of teachers, in relation to corporal punishment, had been influenced by the disruptive behaviour of pupils and their perceptions of the efficacy of alternate methods of behaviour management.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2005.

Some of our teachers are so imbued with the idea that violence solves problems for them at school that they don't realize that there is an effective alternative discipline that is humane and violence free. They are not alone in this trap. Parents and learners too also strongly believe that inflicting reasonable pain is morally an acceptable disciplinary measure, and a deterrent. This study seeks to understand the reasons that make teachers perpetuate the culture of corporal punishment today, despite the fact that the 1996 South African Schools Act abolished the practice in all public and private institutions by declaring that the use of any form of physical punishment is unlawful and unconstitutional. Anyone, therefore, who contravenes the act, is guilty of an offence. This legal concept seems to be confined within public and private institutions, and does not extend to the parents at home and to society at large, where the culture of physical punishment is still widely practiced. From the point of view of Systems Theory we regard a school as a social system. Regard for the perspectives of the people involved in this human system is important in identifying problem situations, exploring them, and developing a grounded theory to account for them. In this study I employ the Primary Research Paradigm and use surveys as a means of collecting the research data. Winberg (1997:30) says that Primary research occurs through direct interaction between the researcher and the researched. It is sensitive and sees with the eyes of the researched and walks in their shoes. I use triangulation, combining conversations, interviews, observations, questionnaires and documentary analysis to collect data on the feelings, attitudes and perceptions of teachers, learners and parents. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

Education within South Africa has undergone significant change within a short period of time. This change has primarily been written in terms of human rights and the equitable distribution of educational resources. This has necessitated a paradigm shift for many teachers and the study explores some of the factors that have prevented teachers from experiencing a paradigm shift. The introduction of the South African Schools Act of 1996 heralded the start of the complete abolition of corporal punishment within all South African schools. The object of this investigation was to explore teachers' attitudes towards the abolition of corporal punishment and the factors that would contribute towards their attitude. The research explored whether the attitude of teachers, in relation to corporal punishment, had been influenced by the disruptive behaviour of pupils and their perceptions of the efficacy of alternate methods of behaviour management.

School-Based Violence (SBV) is prevalent in South Africa and globally. SBV is one of the challenges that the South African education system is facing resulting in a new deep-rooted culture of unsafe and insecure schools. Teachers are expected to teach learners, who display antisocial behaviour. These learners swear, back chat, verbally and physically abuse and show total disrespect for teachers. The presence of such learners has turned schools into battle field. This violence is not exclusively directed to teachers, but learners are also the common victims of bullying in particular. This study therefore sought to investigate how intergroup violence impacts on the schoolbased violence. The concepts, Intergroup Conflict (IC) and gangs/gangsterism were used interchangeably to describe actions of individuals who take part in the social conflict, driven by competition, antagonism and aggression within the school context. A qualitative research method was used to capture the experiences and narratives of participants affected by school based violence. The study employed the interpretivist research paradigm the phenomenological research approach was preferred for the study to gain the meaning, structure, and essence of the lived experiences of the participants with regard to SBV. To extract participants’ experiences, perceptions and views, the study used a semi-structured interview, focus group interviews and nonparticipatory observation methods. The selected schools were purposefully selected because of historical and ongoing violent incidents, as well as the violent communities in which these schools are located. The researcher complied with and observed ethical principles during the research study. The research was conducted on sites (schools) and included seven learners, seven teachers, three principals, three parents who are members of the School Governing Body, three parents, as well as a District Official. Permission was sought and granted by the Provincial Education Department – Gauteng Province, as well as by the District Director.

Educators work in dynamic contexts which reflect the social and political circumstances of the time. Since the African National Congress was elected to govern in 1994, educators working in former Model C schools have been particularly affected by changes in the law regarding education. The South African Schools Act of 1996 prohibited discriminating in any way against learners applying for admission to schools. This has resulted in cultural and racial integration occurring at all former Model C schools. The use of corporal punishment in schools was also prohibited in 1996. This study attempts to obtain an understanding of the interaction between integration and discipline which was identified at a particular Model C school in East London. It also aims to obtain educators' understandings of the challenges of integration and discipline at this school. Following an in-depth pilot study of the school's detention records for 1998, twenty-two out of sixty educators at the school participated in the research by responding to written questionnaires. It is argued that two different approaches to integration are presently used by educators. These are identified and discussed, namely assimilatory education and multicultural education. The need for consistency between educators in their approaches to integration and discipline is also addressed.

Alternative to corporal punishment in schools is a worldwide practice. Most countries have banned the use of corporal punishment in schools and have promulgated laws and adopted policies aiming to enforce the practice of alternative to corporal punishment. South Africa is one of the countries that have introduced policy on alternatives to corporal punishment. However, this policy does not provide details on how School Management Teams (SMTs) and teachers should support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment; as a result, schools end up having different approaches in as far as implementing alternatives to corporal punishment is concerned. There is also a serious problem of indiscipline in schools and this has since attracted growing attention of researchers in South Africa and the whole world. There are serious offences by learners in schools which range from serious criminal ones such as drug abuse, assaults, theft, murders and rapes to less serious ones such as truancy, incomplete projects, absenteeism and lateness, dodging and bunking of classes in schools. This study therefore sought to investigate how SMT and teachers support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment in schools. This was a multi case study of four secondary schools in the King Williams Town Education District which was conducted through qualitative research approach. Interviews and documentary analysis were used to collect data and a total of 16 participants (four principals, four SMT members and eight teachers) were selected. From the data, it emerged that some teachers were fixed in using corporal punishment to discipline learners in schools. The data also showed that the alternatives to corporal punishment (ATCP) policies were inconsistently applied as schools had different approaches in as far as how ATCP is implemented and that some schools had no ATCP policies at all. It also emerged from the data that school leadership was a problem in as far as supporting the implementation of ATCP in schools as in some schools the issues of disciplining learners was centralised in the principal’s office. It also became clear that the majority of participants did not understand the national policy on ATCP. There were no indications of parental involvement in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It can be concluded that the channels of communication among principals, SMTs, teachers with regards to the implementation of ATCP was problematic as there were no clear roles as to how each of these officials should implement ATCP. Some teachers still perceived the ATCP as unsuitable for maintaining discipline in rural schools and their discipline strategies were still characterized by punitive measures which border on corporal punishment. School discipline was not seen as a societal matter where other relevant stakeholders could play a pivotal role in learner discipline. This had a negative impact on the school discipline. Learners had no responsibility on maintenance of positive school atmosphere as they were not in any way part taking in the maintenance of discipline in schools. This study therefore recommends a comprehensive framework for the implementation of ATCP that will give details on the roles of SMTs and teachers in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It is recommended that this framework be inclusive of parents and other community stakeholders who would give different perspectives on the implementation of ATCP in schools as education is a societal matter. It is also recommended that more research be conducted that will deal with urban schools and on the involvement of parents and other stakeholders in the implementation of ATCP.