LISTEN | ‘You racist pig!’ parent shouts at teacher who told granny she ‘will never like coloureds’

15 August 2022 - 17:32
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A female teacher had to be escorted out of a Johannesburg school by police on Monday.
FOUL A female teacher had to be escorted out of a Johannesburg school by police on Monday.
Image: Picture:123rf/ Taras Tsurka

A female teacher had to be escorted out of a Johannesburg school by police on Monday after angry parents tried to forcibly remove her for telling a pupil’s granny she “did not like coloureds”.

A parent shouted “you racist pig” as the educator left the Fred Norman Secondary School in Ennerdale, Johannesburg, in a police vehicle.

During an ugly confrontation between the teacher and a Grade 11 pupil’s grandmother on Friday, the teacher told her: “I will never wake up liking coloureds like you because you guys are rude; you guys don’t have manners.”

Listen here: 

In a three-minute video clip that has gone viral, the teacher shouted at the elderly woman: “You will come and teach that trashy child of yours.”

She also swore at the woman in Zulu and called her “trash”.

In the video the granny can be seen shouting at her as well while pupils stood on their desks and watched the incident.

In an audio clip the granny says she had gone to the school after the teacher refused to allow her granddaughter into the classroom for her lesson.

When the granny arrived at the school last week to see the teacher, she told the granny via a pupil that she had to make an appointment to see her.

Her granddaughter was made to stand outside the classroom during the teacher’s history lessons.

In another audio clip, the chairperson of the school’s governing body, who addressed a group of angry parents on Monday, said they only became aware of the incident on Sunday.

“Someone sent the video to the district director. He called the principal to the district today so they can address the issue. We are waiting for feedback from the district director.”

A parent can be heard saying in the audio clip: “We don’t want to wait for the department. She’s been rude; she’s been racist. She must go.”

Gauteng education department spokesman Steve Mabona confirmed that the teacher has been removed from the school as a “precaution” until further notice.

He said they regretted to learn about the alleged verbal altercation between the teacher and a parent of a learner which was captured on video that has gone viral.

“We have launched an investigation into circumstances surrounding this incident and, as such, the outcome will be communicated in due course.”

He said educators “must always be exemplary figures at our schools by maintaining a high command of good conduct and teaching our learners with dignity”.

“We also implore parents to use appropriate channels to address their grievances rather than resorting to other platforms.”

TimesLIVE

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