Midrand Reporter has received calls and e-mails from parents alleging that there is bullying. The parents who contacted the paper do not wish to have their names published for fear that their children will be victimised.
A parent of a Midrand High School pupil and three parents of pupils at Noordwyk Secondary School claim their children are being bullied.
One of the parents said, “My daughter was bullied recently, and luckily for us, the school has tried to intervene, my child and her friend are closely monitored by teachers. When school ends I am at the gate to collect my child quickly.”
Brian Govender, from the Midrand Learner Transport Association, spoke without fear about the bullying in schools. He said, “Bullying is rife in the two schools. As learner transporters we see this when we drop off children. I have noted a couple of cases of bullying, something has to be done.”
He said parents and the Department of Education must work together to make schools a safe place. Govender added that Noordwyk Secondary School management try their best to enforce discipline but the problems were inherited from the previous school management.
“The current principal is faced with problems he found there but I think he is doing the best he can,” he said.
Midrand High School governing body representative Mr Mdladla, whose surname and contact number were provided by the school, refused to speak to the paper or give his first name. “Please contact the Department of Education, I cannot comment,” he said.
All attempts to get a comment from the Noordwyk Secondary School governing body proved futile. The school referred Midrand Reporter back to the Department of Education.
The Department of Education spokesperson Lesego Masemola could not comment on specific cases of bullying in the two schools but said there are anti-bullying policies in all schools. The policy states that, ‘Bullying in schools is outlawed… and every incident of bullying will be dealt with through the code of conduct’.
