Stout and bespectacled, with a sharp stare from above the rims of her specs, Mrs Mabasa listens to Teacher Tinetariro explain his problem.
“I tell you, my senior,” he says, “no child or elder has ever disrespected me this much in my entire life. But here today three kids mocked me when I was busy imparting knowledge to them. Is that not an insult to my efforts to educate them? Is that how they should thank a teacher?”
“Be calm, Mr Tinetariro,” says Principal Mabasa. “What actually happened?”
“They laughed at me. They said I am wearing a jersey with tattered elbows.”
The principal secretly looks at Mr Tinetariro’s elbows. Indeed the jersey is tattered. In fact, there is a large hole through which she can see the brown skin of his elbow.
Teacher Tinetariro raises his right hand to scratch his sweaty forehead, and the elbow peeks in and out with the movement of his arm.
However, “This is not funny,” says the principal sternly. “Should we call your parents, children?”
Caroline’s knees buckle. “Please, Mrs Mabasa,” she pleads. She looks at Mr Tinetariro. “Teacher Tinetariro, forgive me …”
Khuliso starts weeping. He cannot imagine telling his parents that the school is requesting them to come to a disciplinary hearing.
Ipfani weeps too. “I admit my fault,” he says. “Have mercy on me.”
The irate principal speaks: “If only it were the olden days! Do you hear me, children? If only it were in the olden days, I would have been administering seven hot lashes to each of you! Then I would hand the cane to Mr Tinetariro to roast your bums with three hotter lashes too!”
“True, my senior,” Teacher Tinetariro answers.
“Yes,” Mrs Mabasa growls, looking Khuliso in the face and nodding. She is a big woman, with big arms which look as if they are ready to attack. “Come here.” She points at him. “I say come here!”
“Please, Principal,” he starts weeping. “It won’t happen again.” She is glaring at him from over the top of her spectacles. Moments pass before she speaks again. “You must do your school work and stop being naughty, do you hear me?” she instructs.
“Yes, Madam,” he answers.
“And you two?”
Ipfani and Caroline answer: “Yes.”
Presently teacher Tinetariro turns his gaze to the principal. “If you feel we should slap them with a verbal warning, let’s do so in the hope that they will not repeat this kind of misdemeanour,” he says.
The trio are ordered to walk back to the classroom while teacher Tinetariro remains behind to have a word with the principal.
***
Tell us: Principal Mabaso is correct that beating children used to be legal in our schools. However, not everyone agrees with the ban. What do you think about corporal punishment – good or bad?