Cape Town - Learners and teaching staff at Leiden High School in Delft were caught in an anti-bullying protest outside the school.
This, as the EFF and community members came out in solidarity with a 14-year-old boy who was dumped head-first in a toilet bowl blocked with human excrement last month.
On January 31, the Grade 8 learner was subjected to bullying by four boys in the toilet, with one of the bullies smearing the faeces on the 14-year-old’s face and uniform.
The protesters on Monday called for immediate action from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), including disciplinary action against the school principal, the dissolution of the School Governing Body (SGB), and the expulsion of the perpetrators involved in the incident.
Community member and sub-regional task member for the EFF, Khanyiso Fodo, said: “The motivation of the protest is to get justice for the learner.
We would like to achieve our demands, which include but not limited to the removal of a school principal as we believe he didn’t deal with the matter properly. It’s not the first time we came to school. We have been dealing with this issue from day one. The department of education is not taking our concerns seriously.”
WCED spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, said the allegations that it was a racially-motivated attack is unsubstantiated at this stage.
“It is only the Head of Department of the WCED that can expel a learner. “Secondly, the SGB has conducted a disciplinary hearing, and has, in fact, recommended expulsion for these learners. This was submitted to the WCED on Friday. The HOD will now have the opportunity to apply his mind. There are no grounds to charge the principal or dissolve the SGB.
“Procedures were followed, which has resulted in the recommendation for expulsion by the SGB.”
Although the traumatised child has been transferred to another school, the family said the matter has left him shaken.
A relative said: “He gets hot flashes and we are looking to take him to the doctor, because this matter has affected him badly.”