She rumela motjhupeng

She rumela motjhupeng [I don’t believe in the stick]

I feel like I am a pretty adaptable person. I also believe that in most cases, I can step back and examine both sides of an argument/belief while putting my personal feelings aside. 

Sometimes here, I can’t--and that bothers me. I have always embraced the differences in our world. My personal mantra has always been “different people make the world go round” and as cheesy as that sounds. I believe it. We all have our own beliefs, philosophies, cultures and ideas. That is a beautiful thing. 

In Botswana, I find myself struggling the most with being able to “see their side” of things. 

Corporal punishment is pervasive in the culture and education system. Growing up in Louisiana, the ever present threat of “when your daddy gets home” often kept kids in line and corporal punishment was shockingly still legally allowed in the school system. However, the corporal punishment I witnessed was justified. My parents always reserved physical punishment, usually spankings, for serious offenses. Like that time I tried to poke Colin’s eye out (with a sharp object)--I would say that yes, I deserved my punishment (and never did it again). 

In Botswana, I find a different story. Truth be told, it is hard to deal with. 

The Government regulates whom is to punish whom, and yes, in the Children’s Act of Botswana (2009)  there is a law that stipulates corporal punishment is allowed, as long as it is just and fair. Not only does the law state that it is legal to switch a child, it is also legal to switch a criminal. Judges often dispense “lashes” along side a fine or a prison sentence. In the traditional court, the Kgosi can punish someone with lashes if they misbehave. I myself, was actually threatened with lashes if I showed up to the kgotla wearing pants. 

At the school, students are punished for a variety of reasons--really depending solely on the teacher. Students are often smacked on their hands with the back of a chalkboard eraser for not doing assignments or get switched on the bum. Students are switched if they fail a test, or don’t preform as well as the teacher believes they should have. Students are switched for misbehaving, skipping class or talking back to the teacher. After exam time, the students who fail are lined up to receive their lashes... I have seen more punishment than I would like to admit in the school...and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. 

It is a philosophy I find hard to grasp. Corporal punishment is so widely used (and abused) it almost takes the meaning out of it. 

If a student misbehaves during class and is switched for the behavior then sent off to tea time to play with their friends. What is the punishment? Where as if a child misbehaves and then is kept from playing with friends at tea time. Which is more effective?