Secondary Schools Practices of Learner Suspensions and Re-Integration in the School Community

Abstract

This research paper explores the strategies that are used by secondary schools in South African setting to readmission their suspended learners back in the school community. A plethora of literature review revealed little on the strategies that are offered by the schools to the learners who get suspended and later re-integrated in their respective school communities. The South African school system allows the schools to suspend leaners who serious offenses that are against the school policies for a period of not more than a week (South African Schools Act, 84, 1996). A qualitative research study was conducted to explore the strategies that school principals of secondary schools employ when the learner is re-integrated in the school community after his or her suspension has lapsed. A purposive sample of seven secondary school principals was used. An in-depth interview technique was used to collected data. Data was analyzed by means of themes that emerged from the questions that were posed to the school principals. Analyzed data demonstrate that there is a need to develop strategies for secondary schools to re-integrate learners back in the school communities. There was not sufficient evidence that show the strategies that schools use for the re-integration of suspended learners back in the school communities.

Received: 2 September 2021 / Accepted: 8 April 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022