Video sparks fears for pupils’ safety

WESTRIDGE High School in Durban has come under fire after a video emerged of pupils trapped in a locked passage, raising safety fears among parents and politicians.

The 10-second video shows a group of pupils gathered in front of what seems to be an internal passage gate that looks locked, trying to get out.

Westridge caters for pupils with special needs.

The school has been embroiled in numerous allegations in the past, which include violence between pupils and teachers.

A parent at the school who declined to be named said he had been made aware of the video about a week ago.

“I am very angry about this. This is like a jail and could lead to disaster if there is a fire at the school.

“This is not the first time this has happened. When I asked about this before they said this was meant to protect female pupils from their male counterparts, but if there is a genuine concern, there should be procedures in place to handle the situation,” said the parent.

DA education spokesperson Dr Rishigen Viranna said Westridge was a school for special needs pupils and that special measures were needed to ensure their safety.

“However, these pupils are trapped and unable to escape in the event of an emergency.”

Viranna said that members of the education portfolio committee had previously raised the issue of the locked gates at the school.

“It was established via both the principal and the deputy principal that the internal gates were locked, but only after school hours. The local DA councillor also arranged for eThekwini fire inspectors to visit the school, and they were given the same assurance.

“It is clear from the current video clip that both the principal and deputy principal purposefully misled portfolio committee members,” he said.

Education spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said they were not aware of the video, and would need to consult the school to find out the reason and what informed the decision.

“We do not run a prison. The school environment should be free to move around. Our schools are being targeted, but we would not want an environment where our pupils feel like they are caged.”