Cosas' call to hit teachers 'dangerous'

Cosas says learners have endured physical punishment at schools for far too long with some landing up in hospital.

But Tarryn Blake says Cosas' call is dangerous because it encourages violence and will escalate tension between teachers and their pupils.

''They are advocating violence against teachers and certainly it's going to open the door for many many more worse situations to occur. It's opening the door for more violence.

''There should be a better way of sorting out the corporal punishment issue,'' she said.

The Basic Education Department has since asked Cosas to retract its statement, encouraging learners to rather use proper channels to report incidents of physical punishment. 

Corporal punishment has been outlawed in South Africa.

(File photo: Gallo Images)