Teacher says she isn’t racist
Suspension is unlawful as she was not given opportunity to defend
THE North West Provincial Department of Education and its MEC, Sello Lehari, yesterday filed a notice to oppose suspended Laerskool Schweizer-reneke teacher Elana Barkhuizen’s urgent application to have her suspension lifted.
Lawyer Werner Human, acting for labour union Solidarity, which is launching the urgent application before the Johannesburg Labour Court on Thursday, confirmed that they had received the notice.
Human said the department and its MEC is expected to file their opposing papers in the matter by Tuesday. He said they have, up to yesterday afternoon, not yet received any news from either the school or its governing body on whether they were going to oppose or abide by the decision of the court.
Barkhuizen said in papers filed this week that her suspension was unlawful as she was never given the opportunity to defend herself.
She was suspended a day after the schools opened for the 2019 academic year when a picture she took of a colleague’s Grade R class, went viral. It depicted a group of black pupils sitting around a table in the classroom, while the white pupils sat at another table.
Barkhuizen was immediately labelled a racist for posting the picture, and it caused outrage. She said she, however, also posted three other pictures of the children’s first day at school, but these were ignored.
In her court papers, Barkhuizen said she “detested” racism and especially so in any educational environment.
“I pride myself on my devotion to teach all learners, regardless of race or gender, with equal passion and energy.”
She explained that prior to her employment at the school, she operated her own pre-school. “I have extensive knowledge of how to teach and educate preschool learners according to their educational needs, abilities and achievement.
“My experience and expertise in this regard include effective methods of teaching learners with a lack of communication or language skills.”
Barkhuizen explained that for two days leading up to the opening of the new school year, parents were invited to her class and that of teacher Elsabe Olivier (in whose class the picture was taken).
“I explained to the parents my approach to education and the outlay of my classroom. I explained my approach to seating arrangements, particularly with reference to individual learners’ needs and requirements.
“It has everything to do with an effective teaching approach to the advantage of the learners themselves.”
Barkhuizen further explained that as the school was predominantly Afrikaans speaking, it made use of an interpreter to translate to non-afrikaans children. The seating arrangements were thus for practical purposes, although the seating plan changed all the time, according to need.
She said it was explained to the parents how it worked, and they had no complaints prior to the opening of the school.
One parent, however, after he saw the picture, complained to the school that the black children were seated apart from the white children.
Barkhuizen said this father was upset with her as there was no longer a 10% discount on school fees for certain children.
She said the headmaster and chairperson of the governing body assured her and Olivier that they would liaise with the parent and that they had their full support.
However, the next day she was told first by the headmaster and a few minutes later by the MEC, that she was suspended.