THE Ministry of Education has guided that although late coming is an offence, schools should use corrective measures that encourage reflection and learning instead of sending learners home. Dr Kelvin Mambwe is also clear that disciplinary measures should never interfere with learning time, and that sending learners home for any offence committed denies them the opportunity to learn. On paper, this sounds like a child-centred position, and we cannot condemn it at face value. Protecting a child’s right to learn is a commendable reform. But the implementation of this policy will require careful consideration of what was meant to be achieved in the first place. As we always say, changing a policy without understanding what the initial position was meant...