‘Teachers using pupils in faction fights at rural schools’

THE vicious assault of a KwaZulu-Natal principal – which left him injured and afraid to return to work – has brought into sharp focus the issue of pupil on educator violence.

The attack and several others were brought to light during a political oversight visit to Ndwedwe by the DA.

A spate of violent incidents, it said, point to faction fighting in the rural school district, with some teachers allegedly mobilising students to settle scores against their professional rivals.

Sifisosethu High School was a flash point, with teacher unions laying the blame at the door of the provincial education department.

The principal, who would only identify himself as Mr Khambule, confirmed he had been assaulted by a gang of pupils in January last year.

“I was away for the whole year while I was recovering,” he said. “The problem was service delivery from the department of education. They promised they would renovate the school and they didn’t deliver. I was cut on my face and on my head. They also stoned my car. I was assaulted by the learners and I was hurt. They were accusing me of chasing the teachers away.

“Three teachers had left the school as a result of the post provision norms. They were unhappy because of the state of the school and they focused their attention on me.”

He returned to the school once renovations began.

The DA’s Mbali Ntuli said they had heard of another incident in which a teacher had been pelted by avocados by students.

National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa spokesman Basil Manual said it was dangerous for pupils to be drawn into the professional squabbles of teachers.

“If pupils become embroiled in faction fighting that targets a particular teacher at the behest of other staff, we may have a situation where they are removed from school for extended periods because their faction becomes out-manned or outgunned,” he said.

National Teachers’ Union spokesman Allen Thompson said school security needed to be improved.

Department of Education spokesman Muzi Mahlambi had not responded to e-mails, texts or phone calls at the time of going to press.