Teachers’ Understanding of Corporal Punishment Legal Policy in Tanzanian Schools

Elkana S Ntebi – St John’s University of Tanzania, Dodoma
Prof. Emmanuel D. Mbennah – Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania, Harare, Zimbabwe
Corresponding Author: juniorntebi@gmail.com

Abstract: For a long time now, primary schools in Tanzania have been struggling to attain full implementation of the corporal punishment legal policy. Among others, the implementation seems to be affected by teachers’ understanding of the policy. This study focused on finding out and establishing teachers’ understanding of Corporal punishment legal policy in Tanzania primary schools. The main objective of the study was to establish teachers’ understanding of corporal punishment legal policy in Tanzanian schools. The sample used in this study were primary school teachers from ten primary schools in Shinyanga rural area. The decision on sample used based on the objective of the study as teachers are main practitioners of the policy. The findings of the study show that, there is different understanding of the policy among teachers, teachers are not aware of sanctions that result from breaking the policy and there is no follow up done by the government on the implementation of the policy in schools. The following recommendation are made 1. There is a need for the responsible body of the government to conduct training on the policy to raise awareness of it among teachers in schools. 2. Follow up of the implementation should be done and communicated to education stakeholders, including teachers, to see challenges and finding collective ways to mitigate them.