I had just finished playing basketball with my students today when Oscar one of the Tanzanian teachers stormed from his office into the Form 2 room. Everyone but myself seem to know what the deal was as they headed right over. He had the cane and some papers in his hand, read out a few names and the students then made a line.

I wasn't really paying attention until I heard squealing coming from the room. Almost all the gyrls were lined up and were caned on their hand whilst their fellow classmates who escaped the punishment stood outside laughing and pointing at them.

After being caned on their hand, they would run out the classroom not just from the pain but also from the shame. I comforted one of the girls, she could barely speak English but showed me her hand and it looked really sore.

Apparently everyone who had received less than 50% on their exam were punished.

Corporal punishment didnt seem to end there.

The following day at evening prayer, one of the prefects were writing down the names of the students who had arrived late. What a coincidence as Mama Anna ( school director) had arrived just in time and made the late students walk across the basketball court on their hands and knees, then if that was not enough....made them bend over in a push up position and whip them on their backside.......

Again, I don't think is very effective, no one will ever claim they have only been beating once, its something that seems to happen repeatedly, so how can we then say that 'it makes them learn'. I am glad coming from Britain, I have never had to suffer this. What probably hurts more is that its black people doing this to other black people. This behaviour is a reflection of the relation between the slave master and slave.

When the other volunteers and myself decided to discuss this with the Tanzanian teachers, they did not seem to comprehend how we felt. But then began to challenge us claiming ''you don't know Tanzanian children''
....I beg to differ.

Come to England, British children seem to be very fearless of teachers and if corporal punishment did still exist, its likely they would hit the teacher back....