Youth ponder affirmative action

Johannesburg - An affirmative action youth summit will be convened to discuss and finalise a common perspective on the issue, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and Freedom Front Plus Youth (FFPY) said on Tuesday.

"We've agreed that the redress policies have not adequately addressed the racial inequalities of the past," said ANCYL national spokesperson Floyd Shivambu at a media briefing in Johannesburg.

He said this had resulted in them agreeing on convening the summit. However, the date was yet to be announced.

"We will do this as soon as possible, after consulting with our structures".

Some of the issues discussed at the meeting on Tuesday included racism, corporal punishment and mother tongue education.

The ANCYL and FFPY still remain divided on the issue of the reinstatement of corporal punishment as a way of instilling a sense of discipline in schools.

"There is a problem in the school system. The current way of discipline is not implemented correctly. There were no problems of learners attacking teachers and stabbing one another before the abolishment of corporal punishment," said Cornelius Jansen van Rensburg, FFPY leader.

Meanwhile Shivambu said they opposed this because violence or force cannot be used as a corrective measure to instil a sense of discipline.

"Many children left school because of being afraid of being beaten up by teachers".

- Sapa