DA calls for better ways of addressing school racism
THE DA has called for tighter and better ways of addressing racism in schools. This after the latest incident in which a black pupil at Hoërskool Carletonville was headbutted by her white classmate.
The 17-year-old pupil was allegedly head-butted by a male classmate after she had asked the boy and his friends not to spray deodorant in class because she had a sinus problem.
When she retaliated with a slap, he threw her off her chair and she dislocated her arm. The school management team was accused of not assisting the black pupil and instead taking the white boy’s side.
They have also been accused of intimidating black pupils if they spoke out about the assault.
DA Gauteng Education spokesperson Khume Ramulifho said that once the department failed to deal with small racist incidents, they spiralled into what happened at Hoërskool Overvaal and Noordgesig Primary School.
At Overvaal, there were protests outside the school at the start of the school year.
The community accused the school of overlooking black pupils’ applications in favour of their white counterparts. The department took the school to court in an effort to get 55 black pupils admitted.
However, the department lost as the court ruled that the pupils be admitted at nearby English-medium schools.
At Noordgesig, parents protested against the appointment of a black principal, demanding a coloured one.
Ramulifho said, as the DA, they strongly condemn racism in schools.
“We appeal to all teachers to treat learners equally and not to discriminate based on the colour of their skin.
“It is high time that MEC (Panyazo) Lesufi walk his talk of being pro-non-racialism. He must stand firm in his interventions and implement stringent rules against racism in our schools.”
Ramulifho said racism had no place in schools and should not be tolerated.
However, Gauteng Education Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said it was unfair to say they were not doing anything to address the situation.
Mabona said they were investigating the matter at the Carletonville school.
He said that in the Overvaal case, the department was appealing against the decision and waiting for it to go to court.
“In Noordgesig, we are meeting with the school. In our last meeting they raised points that were not in their memorandum and we agreed to have another meeting. Our engagement is continuous,” Mabona said.
He said they were investigating the case of headbutting.
‘We appeal to all teachers to treat pupils equally’