Abstract

Disputes are a natural part of school life, and unfortunately, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and assaults have become all too common in South African public high schools. Schools face significant disciplinary challenges, with issues of ill-discipline on the rise in schools across the country. However, the current school disciplinary procedures adopted by most public high schools fail to address the root causes of these problems and do not provide concrete solutions.
This article aims to explore the idea of implementing mandatory peer mediation in South African public high schools as a way to resolve conflicts and address issues of discipline. It will begin by briefly examining the school disciplinary procedure, before discussing its shortcomings. Next, it will examine the concept of peer mediation and compare it to the disciplinary hearing process. To gain a deeper understanding of how peer mediation could be integrated into the school environment, we will look at the experience in New Zealand. Finally, the article will discuss the practicalities of implementing mandatory peer mediation in South African high schools.