Teacher investigated for alleged sexist and racist remarks
● A teacher at a Cape Town maths and science academy is in hot water for allegedly telling a matric class that having women in influential positions will make the world unbalanced and leave men powerless.
Pupils and parents at Protea Heights Academy in Brackenfell have accused maths teacher Stefan Pretorius of sexism and racism over statements he allegedly made about rape, black economic empowerment and white privilege.
Two pupils and one parent have lodged formal complaints with the school’s acting principal, Andrea Coetzer. School governing body (SGB) chair Johan Minnie confirmed the school was investigating.
“The SGB has been collecting video evidence and disciplinary procedures will follow. The educator has been removed from this particular class and we are giving the matter our full attention,” he said.
One of the complainants said Pretorius had downplayed the effects of apartheid, allegedly telling the class: “You guys must forgive and forget. The past is the past.”
The written complaint to Coetzer said: “This was said after he justified how Afrikaners were also disadvantaged during the Boer War and that they were put in concentration camps, and that what people of colour went through during apartheid era is the same.”
Concerning women in the workplace, the maths teacher allegedly said: “I’m a white male that won’t be able to get a job anywhere. Because females are in power the world will become unbalanced.”
He also allegedly told the class there is no such thing as white privilege. The pupil’s complaint said: “He has complete disregard for broad-based black economic empowerment policy because he claims to be disadvantaged because of this act.”
In a video that was taken in his class, seen by the Sunday Times, Pretorius said: “If an ou toppie like me applies [for a job], whether I’m good is irrelevant. The number system says no, not this one. They don’t look at you, they look at the numbers. Now I’m asking myself, are you guys one day going to get to apply in a system like that?”
Pretorius and Coetzer refused to comment on the allegations but the Western Cape education department said the teacher would face disciplinary action.
Disgruntled pupils and parents said Coetzer’s action in removing Pretorius from the matric class had not gone far enough.
“It does not seem like the content of the conversation he had with the class is an issue, and he was simply moved from this class,” said a parent who did not want to be named.
“The kids were merely told that they will get into trouble if they take videos of teachers again. It doesn’t sound like the actual problem has been addressed.”
In a matric class in June, Pretorius allegedly criticised women who spoke out about being raped as children.
According to the pupil’s complaint, he said: “An eight-year-old gets raped and decides to tell no-one. When she turns 90, now she wants to speak up? That’s nonsense, why would she want to speak up now? The woman had all the time in the world to tell the police or someone.”
The pupil said: “That made many of us angry and we tried to tell him that what he said was insensitive and that we should leave the topic, but he was too passionate about getting his point across.”
In one of the video clips, a pupil complains that Pretorius referred to teenagers in the class as “idiots”, “dumbasses” or “little shits”.
Pretorius admits saying “dankie dumbass” and tells the pupil: “When I say don’t be a little shit doesn’t mean that you have to be one.” He says: “If you have a thin skin and everything become [sic] you, you have a problem in life… you have to get over yourself.”
Education department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the school had confirmed it was invePstRigating the complaints against Pretorius, who is employed by the governing body.
“Disciplinary procedures against the teacher are to follow. The SGB has received video evidence,” she said.