Discipline at Camps: Aligning with the BELA Act

Disciplinary challenges are a major obstacle in ensuring effective outdoor experiential learning programmes. These difficulties intensify when campsites are ill-equipped, or schools fail to have the proper policies and practices in place which cannot be consistently applied at an excursion, or when teachers are unavailable to provide essential support during disciplinary challenges at camp.

The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 mandates prioritising learners’ safety, dignity, and non-violent environments across all settings, this includes private, educational or religious settings. With the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act, fully implemented since December 2024 through the South African Schools Act (SASA), schools, educators and camp organisers face increased scrutiny to ensure disciplinary practices comply with legal standards which prohibits corporal punishment or character assassination, emphasising child-centered approaches.

In South Africa’s evolving educational landscape, school camps and excursions provide powerful opportunities for personal and group development through experiential outdoor learning, yet they pose distinct challenges for maintaining discipline. These less structured settings often amplify behavioural issues seen in classrooms, such as defiance or peer conflicts, requiring educators to adapt their approaches.

Key challenges include managing diverse learner needs, maintaining consistency between school and camp policies, and navigating the unstructured nature of camp environments. To address these, educators should align camp and school disciplinary frameworks and be informed of these policies and practices.

Examples of negative punishment for ill-discipline at camps includes verbal reprimand or shaming participants in front of their peers, physical exercise (running in one spot, push-ups), punishing the whole group (no tuck-shop access), extra chores, forcing them to sit out on activities, or sending them home in extreme cases.

The Principle of Teacher Responsibility in Camp Discipline

Under the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 and its amendments via the BELA Act, teachers remain the primary custodians of learner discipline during school activities, even in extracurricular settings like camps. The Regulations for School Safety clearly sets out protocol and processes that will include transport and excursions and will also be applicable during school activities such as school camps.  As school staff, they are accountable for supervision, safety, and implementing disciplinary measures that comply with national policies. This responsibility extends beyond the classroom because camps are considered extensions of school activities, falling under the broad umbrella of educational duties outlined in SASA Section 21, which empowers School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to oversee such programmes.

Teachers must collaborate with campsites and camp facilitators but cannot delegate core disciplinary authority. For instance, while facilitators can handle minor day-to-day issues, serious incidents like bullying, and ethical violations require teacher intervention, including documentation and escalation to parents or school authorities. This principle ensures consistency and legal compliance. Campsites that take over this “duty” as a service to schools expose themselves to larger issues.  So called “out-sourcing” during school activities is risky. 

Aligning Camp Discipline with School Policies: No Room for Deviation

A key tenet of South African education law is that discipline at camps must mirror the school's code of conduct, as mandated by SASA Section 8. There should be no "camp-specific" leniency or harsher rules; instead, practices must integrate seamlessly to avoid inconsistencies that could undermine learner respect for authority. The amended Schools Act reinforces this by promoting uniform, rights-based approaches across all educational contexts, ensuring that camps do not become silos where different standards apply.

This alignment is crucial in a post-corporal punishment era, where schools have shifted toward positive discipline since the ban in 1997.

However, camps introduce variables like shared living spaces, outdoor risks, and peer influences that can escalate minor infractions into group disruptions. Without alignment, learners might exploit perceived differences, leading to confusion or defiance. For example, if a school prohibits public shaming but a camp allows it informally, this could violate SASA's protections against emotional harm and invite legal challenges.

Challenges and Limitations in Exercising Discipline

The BELA amendments have intensified debates around discipline. Educators report feeling "stripped" of effective tools, with some fearing an outright collapse of order as learners openly flout rules.

Specific challenges at camps include:

• Escalating Indiscipline in Informal Settings: Camps' relaxed atmosphere can encourage boundary-testing, such as ignoring curfews or engaging in rough play. A strong authoritative group of facilitators are needed to navigate groups, specifically those with a tendency to challenge disciplinary structures. Without traditional deterrents, teachers struggle to maintain control, especially with large groups or limited staff ratios. Recent reports indicate rising classroom indiscipline spilling over into extracurriculars, exacerbated by the Act's restrictions.

• Broadened Definitions of Prohibited Practices: SASA expands the ban on corporal punishment to include not just physical acts but also emotional or psychological harm, such as shouting, public humiliation, or isolation. At camps, this limits options like forcing physical exercises (e.g., running laps for misbehaviour, doing push-ups) or verbal reprimands, which some educators view as essential for quick corrections. If the camp is part of a school activity the same rules will apply.

Suggestions for Managing Discipline at Camps

Despite these hurdles, effective discipline at camps is achievable through proactive, restorative strategies that comply with SASA. Camp managers and teachers should develop a pre-camp policy aligned with the school's code, incorporating training on alternatives to punishment, this could be a standard document and does not need to be generated before each camp.  They key is consistency.

Key suggestions include:

• School Camp and Excursion Disciplinary Policy: Develop and distribute a comprehensive discipline policy document to parents and participants prior to the camp (a document that does not only speak to a specific camp or excursion, bit to all camps and excursions in general at a specific school). The document should clearly outline the general rules for behaviour and safety, along with the specific consequences for rule violations. Ensure the policy is approved by the organising authority (e.g., church leadership, organisational board, or equivalent body) and developed through a thorough consultative process involving stakeholders such as parents, participants, facilitators, and relevant community or religious leaders.

• Consent of risk: As part of the risk consent form signed by parents, include a dedicated section where learners acknowledge and agree to follow both the camp's rules and, if applicable, the organising institution’s (e.g., school, church or organisation) code of conduct by signing the document. If possible, indicate the consequences for not adhering to rules or causing disruptions to sending the learner home.

• Full Value Contract: Begin each camp programme with a concise workshop to collaboratively establish expectations and consequences, addressing physical safety, interpersonal behaviour, and alignment with the campsite and specific school values. Document these agreements in a written “contract” that participants review and symbolically sign to commit to the shared standards (on a flip-chart where all participated in).

• Adopt Restorative Justice Practices: Focus on mediation for conflicts, community service for infractions (e.g., cleaning up after littering), and reflective discussions to build accountability. These methods, endorsed in Department of Basic Education guidelines, turn missteps into learning opportunities without harm.

• Enhance Prevention and Positive Reinforcement: Set clear expectations on day one with group agreements, and reward positive behaviour (e.g., team acknowledgments) to foster a supportive culture. Structure activities to minimize downtime, reducing boredom-induced disruptions. Under supervision, use positive group pressure – to allow the group to sort out individuals.

• Leverage Support Systems: Involve parents pre-camp and escalate serious issues promptly, while documenting all incidents for compliance.

By embracing these strategies, camps can maintain discipline while enhancing educational value, transforming potential pitfalls into platforms for growth in-line with South Africa's progressive laws.

Many camps, such as youth retreats, spiritual gatherings, or team-building events, are initiatives not from schools, but still involve minors (under 18) who are protected by the Children's Act 38 of 2005. Even in the absence of the educational policies typically presented by schools the same should still apply for these other organisations.

Educational principles of Experiential Leaning

For outdoor experiential learning programmes to truly transform participants, they must be thoughtfully designed with core experiential learning principles at their heart. Discipline, far from being a mere tool for control, should be seamlessly woven into the programme’s fabric as a catalyst for growth. It fosters a culture where learners are motivated to align with shared goals, reflect on and correct their mistakes, and strive for improvement in future endeavours.

The essence of experiential learning lies in creating an environment that encourages exploration, self-discovery, and the pursuit of truth. This atmosphere must never be overshadowed by punitive measures or rigid disciplinary scare tactics, which stifles curiosity, prevents risk taking and undermines the philosophy of experiential learning. Instead, discipline should empower participants, guiding them towards better behaviour through reflection and positive reinforcement, ensuring that the journey of growth remains inspiring and true to the principles of experiential education.

The use of credible school camp partners during this process cannot be overemphasised.