Scripture & Rights
What the Bible Says About School Rights, Discipline, and Education
Scripture treats education as a sacred duty and children as deserving of protection, not harm. South African schools cannot expel without a hearing, use corporal punishment, or withhold results for unpaid fees.
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6 Scriptures
SA Law Context
Education is one of Scripture's most consistent themes — the obligation to teach children, to protect them from harm, and to ensure that no barrier stands between a child and their formation. South African schools operate under a legal framework that reflects these same values: every child has the right to basic education, to be free from violence, to a fair process before expulsion, and to learn regardless of their parents' ability to pay fees.
What Scripture Says
Key Bible Verses
Proverbs 22:6 (NET)
“Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Education is a responsibility placed on the community and on parents. The duty to educate is not optional — it is the investment that shapes an entire life. When schools create barriers to that education — through unlawful expulsions, fee demands, or withheld results — they obstruct a duty that Scripture treats as foundational.
Matthew 19:14 (NET)
“But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."”
Jesus pushed back directly against those who wanted to keep children away from something good. His words apply directly to gatekeeping: schools that turn children away for non-payment of fees, that exclude children for procedural reasons, or that use expulsion as a first response rather than a last resort — are acting contrary to Jesus' own example and command.
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (NET)
“"These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you travel the road, as you lie down, and as you get up."”
The command to educate is embedded in the rhythms of everyday life — sitting, travelling, waking, sleeping. Education is not a privilege for those who can afford it. It is a constant, unbroken responsibility. The right to basic education in Section 29 of the South African Constitution reflects this same conviction: education cannot be conditional on payment.
Matthew 18:5–6 (NET)
“"And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea."”
Jesus used his most severe language to describe the consequences of harming a child. Corporal punishment in schools — banned outright in South Africa since 1996 — causes documented psychological and physical harm. Scripture does not provide a theological basis for institutional violence against children, whatever selective readings of Proverbs have been used to suggest otherwise.
Proverbs 22:15 (NET)
“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.”
This verse is often cited to justify corporal punishment in schools. But the "rod" in Proverbs is a parental guidance metaphor — it does not translate into institutional violence by teachers. More importantly, South African courts and legislature have definitively ruled: Section 10 of the Schools Act bans all corporal punishment in all schools, regardless of religious tradition. The law is clear, and Matthew 18:6's warning about harming children carries more weight than a selective reading of Proverbs.
Psalm 78:4–5 (NET)
“We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD and his strong actions; he gave a mandate to Jacob, and established a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make them known to their children.”
The transmission of knowledge across generations is a divine mandate — not incidental but commanded. Every child denied education, every school year lost to an unlawful expulsion, every learner kept home because their parents cannot afford the fees, represents a break in a chain that God himself commanded should be unbroken.
In South African Law — the Schools Act and the Constitution
Section 29 of the Constitution gives every person the right to a basic education. The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 gives this right practical force: Section 10 bans corporal punishment in all schools — including private schools and religious schools — without exception. Section 8A requires that before any learner is expelled, a fair hearing must be held at which the learner and their parents have the right to be heard and to present their case. Section 40 and the fee exemption regulations mean that no learner may be refused admission or have their results withheld because their parents cannot afford school fees — parents who earn less than ten times the annual school fee qualify for full exemption and must apply in writing to the principal. If a school refuses to follow these rules, report to the provincial Department of Education or the South African Human Rights Commission (011 877 3600).
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a school expel my child without holding a hearing first?
No. Section 8A of the South African Schools Act requires that before a learner is expelled, the school must hold a formal disciplinary hearing at which the learner and their parents have the right to be heard, to present their version, and to be informed of their right to appeal. An expulsion without a hearing is unlawful and can be appealed to the Head of Department of the provincial Department of Education. Lodge your appeal in writing within the time period stated in the expulsion notice, or within 10 school days if no period is given.
Is corporal punishment still legal in South African schools?
No. Section 10 of the South African Schools Act bans corporal punishment in all schools — government and private, secular and religious — without exception. A teacher who uses corporal punishment commits an assault and can be reported to SAPS (to open a criminal case), the School Governing Body, and the South African Council of Educators (SACE). It is not a disciplinary matter to be handled internally — it is a criminal offence.
Can the school refuse to give my child their results because I haven't paid school fees?
No. Withholding results for fee non-payment is unlawful. The National Policy on School Fees prohibits schools from refusing admission or withholding results because a parent cannot pay. If you cannot afford school fees, you can apply for a fee exemption by submitting a written application to the principal with proof of income. Parents earning less than ten times the annual school fee qualify for full exemption. If a school withholds your child's results, report it to the provincial Department of Education or the South African Human Rights Commission (011 877 3600).
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