Parents demand justice for schoolchildren allegedly assaulted in Masoyi

Two parents want justice for their children after they were allegedly assaulted by a teacher at a secondary school in Masoyi.

According to the parents, their kids were assaulted on separate occasions by the same teacher, after which they reported the matter to the principal and the school governing body. They claim their concerns were not heard. Meanwhile, one of the parents has already opened a case against the teacher.

They said the teacher slapped her daughter when she had gone to him to ask for her mid-year term results. He allegedly slapped her before giving her the results. “According to my daughter, she was assaulted for no reason. When she reported the matter to the principal, she was ignored. I then visited the school in the hope that I would get answers; instead, I was told the teacher has anger issues and they referred him for anger management classes. I was told to let go of the matter as they would resolve it,” the mother said.

ALSO READ: Suspect arrested in connection with USA tourist robbery in KaNyamazane

She further claimed the teacher denied hitting her daughter – she says he told her he was ‘brushing her hand’ and didn’t remember beating her. “However, he apologised to us, which is not good enough. Why was he brushing an 11-year-old girl? To me, it sounds like he was sexually harassing her. However, he admitted beating her after I had pressed charges against him. I want justice for my daughter, because I do not want this to happen to other learners,” she said.

Meanwhile, other parents have also complained about the same teacher kicking their daughter in her groin on the school premises. The mother said the teacher kicked her daughter for no reason, and she too went to school to find out what happened. “My daughter told me she went to the teacher to enquire about her progress report file and he kicked her on her private parts, accusing her of disturbing him. To me, that is sexual harassment. It is unacceptable to beat or touch a minor on her private parts. I was also told the teacher has anger issues, but he is allowed to be among our kids whom he can assault as he wishes!” she said.

ALSO READ: Three die in multiple-vehicle collision on N4 towards Belfast

According to the mother, the main problem was that the school management asked her to let go of the matter, saying that they would deal with it. They claim while the teacher had admitted to all the accusations, no action was taken against him.

The spokesperson for the Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, said the department takes all allegations of corporal punishment seriously and will take appropriate action against anyone found to be using it. Corporal punishment is a form of learner abuse and is prohibited by law. Under no circumstances is it an acceptable way to discipline a learner, he said.

“We strongly condemn the use of corporal punishment in schools and urge all parents and guardians to report any incidents to the department,” Zwane said. “Schools are places where learners should feel safe and respected. They should be places where the children can learn and grow without fear of violence.”

The department is committed to creating safe and supportive learning environments for all learners, Zwane said.