Teacher allegedly head-butts pupil
AN ENRAGED teacher is alleged to have head-butted a matric pupil, breaking his nose after accusing him of bunking school.
While the teacher has been suspended, the outraged mother of the 17-year-old boy, who is still recovering from the recent alleged attack, is demanding that education authorities deal strongly with him.
The incident is alleged to have happened at a private faith-based school in Phoenix.
“The school does not have a sports field on its premises and the children have their physical education (PE) classes on a community sports ground next to the school,” said the woman from Overport.
“My son was waiting for his friends just outside the school when the teacher came up to him and started accusing him of trying to bunk school.”
The mother of four, whose name is being withheld to protect her minor child, said that when her son tried to explain to the teacher that he was having PE and was waiting for his friends, the teacher became more aggressive and started pushing and swearing at him.
“The teacher then ordered my son to go with him to the principal’s office. On their way to the office block, the teacher continued to swear and push him around. When my son pushed his hands away, he made a gesture to hit him but backed off as there were other pupils around.”
The mother, a real estate agent, said there were two women teachers present when her son arrived at the office.
“Before they could discuss the matter, the principal received a telephone call which he took in another room. During this time the teacher started shouting at my son, telling him that he would get him expelled.”
She said the teacher grew angrier as he shouted at her son.
“He then picked up his hand to hit my son but he (the boy) grabbed both the teacher’s hands to prevent him from assaulting him. But the teacher did not give up and head butted my son in the face, causing the nose injury.”
She said her son had bled profusely.
“The staff gave him some tissues and closed the door. They contacted his father to tell him that he had a slight injury. When his father arrived at the school, he realised the seriousness of the injury and questioned the school management as to why his son was not taken to hospital for treatment, but no one seemed to have an answer for him.”
She said the injury left her son disorientated and unable to breath properly.
“We took him to the hospital for treatment and he was discharged a few days later,” the mother said. “This type of behaviour from a teacher is unacceptable. The department needs to investigate why corporal punishment is still being allowed at schools.”
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mhlambi said the school was not affiliated to the department and they were not aware of the incident.
However, corporal punishment was not allowed at any school and principals needed to ensure this rule was followed, he said.
The school has not returned calls seeking comment.