KZN education department to conduct race probe at Durban school

Calm was restored at the George Campbell School of Technology in Durban on Monday morning after days of protest action linked to racial tensions.

Learners barricaded entrances to the school last week in response to what they described as systemic racism at the institution.

Student leaders alleged that teachers had regularly called black learners monkeys and other offensive terms. Following a meeting with the Department of Education on Sunday‚ protest leaders told TimesLIVE that teaching and learning would resume.

"We met with the department and they have agreed to suspend the teachers who transgressed‚" said one of the pupils‚ who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Department spokesman Sihle Mlotshwa said the engagement with the protesting students had been fruitful and that normality had been restored.

"A teacher who is alleged to have called some learners monkeys has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. Another member of staff‚ who is alleged to have assaulted a learner‚ has also be suspended pending the outcome of an investigation‚" Mlotshwa said. He said that officials would conduct an extensive probe into race relations at the school‚ and refer all allegations to the South African Human Rights Commission.