‘White learners complained they are being taught k**** music’: Education MEC outlines the issues and actions

30 August 2016 - 11:20 By TMG Digital
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Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said that a resolution has been reached and all hostilities at the Pretoria High School for Girls will cease.

This followed protests over a reported instruction to black pupils to straighten their hair‚ and Lesufi visited the school to address the controversy as more than 4500 people signed a petition calling for his intervention.


The section of the school's code of conduct that deals with hair has been suspended with immediate effect.

Lesufi’s office has released a statement summarising the issues and the “way forward”.

ISSUES RAISED:

- Use of African languages on the school premises is not tolerated yet the other learners are allowed to express themselves in Afrikaans.

- Learners feel that they are not allowed to wear black hairstyles‚ such as Afro. Specifically‚ the school policy limits the length of the hairstyle‚ and this is arbitrarily interpreted by the educators. The learners feel that educators use abusive and demeaning language when they address them regarding their hairstyles. For instance some educators tell them they look like monkeys‚ or have nests on their heads.

- Racial abuse and victimisation by both white educators and white learners‚ in particular the use of hurtful terms such as monkeys‚ k*****‚ and being told you belong at Mamelodi High and not at Pretoria Girls. In one incident a white learner told a black learner she does not need a pencil but should rather use her finger since it was black enough. Some white learners complained in a music class that they are being taught k**** music when the teacher was trying to teach them an African folk song.

- Management and senior officials in the school deal flippantly with‚ or ignore learners’ complaints about racial abuse and victimisation. For example‚ the learners complained that they are told to “get over it” or “toughen up‚ this is not a primary school”.

- The school response was heavy-handed in calling the police and private security.

- The harassment and victimisation is not limited to the school grounds‚ but occurs at school excursions as well.

ACTIONS:

- A formal investigation will be instituted and run by an independent body to investigate all the claims of racism‚ the deployment of police and security forces‚ the educators alleged to be culprits and all related matters. The investigation should be concluded in 21 days and the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) will take action following the recommendation of the investigation.

- The code of conduct of the schools must be reviewed and the clause dealing with hairstyles should be suspended in the meantime. The group that will review the code of conduct must include as wide a representation of the school community as is practicably possible. The emerging code of conduct must be workshopped with all stakeholders at the school‚ especially learners.

- It is advisable for the school governing board (SGB) to consider extending an unqualified apology for the saga that unfolded at the schools.

- Psychological and related social services will be provided by the GDE‚ to counsel the learners against the trauma they appeared to have suffered.

- It must be stressed that none of the learners‚ who reported the prevalence of racial and emotional abuse at the school‚ will be intimidated. The SGB and the school management team must do their level best to directly address what appeared as a serious trust deficit between themselves and the learners.

- The group of eminent persons in the Premier’s Office‚ assisted by the DBE Social Cohesion Branch‚ should assist in dealing with challenges related to social cohesion‚ race relations‚ and diversity management. This should include the conservative ethos and doctrinal make-up of the school in general. The terms of reference for addressing challenges related to social cohesion‚ race relations and diversity management must be submitted to the MEC within 21 days.

- Learners must submit their written submissions to the Office of the MEC not later than Friday‚ 2 September 2016. The MEC will further apply his mind on these submissions; and where necessary‚ seek clarification and/or rebuttal from the school management team (SMT) and/or the SGB of the school. This interaction must be completed with 21 days.

MATTERS THAT MUST BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT:

- The cellphones confiscated must be returned within 24 hours; hostilities among learners‚ teachers‚ SMT and SGB (where hostilities exist) must cease.

- The mocking of learners’ hairstyles must cease‚ pending the finalisation of the review and amendment of the Code of Conduct; the mocking of African learners’ usage of their mother tongue must stop. In fact‚ the diverse use of languages (especially African languages) must be encouraged for all learners at the school.

- The learners’ unqualified right to quality basic education must be ensured at all times. Teaching and learning must occur in a conducive and safe environment. To that end lessons must continue uninterrupted.

- The school must ensure that the good performance it is known for‚ in its National Senior Certificate examinations, is not adversely affected;

- The principal and SMT’s safety at the school must be ensured.

– TMG Digital

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