Education department confirms incident of inappropriate conduct at West Rand high school

The Gauteng Department of Education said it is aware of allegations of boys at Hoërskool Riebeeckrand High School inappropriately touching girls.

The department spokesperson Steve Mabona told Randfontein Herald the alleged incident took place on April 10.

“We strongly condemn any acts of misconduct, which seek to undermine the dignity of our learning institutions.

“Schools are urged to enforce their codes of conduct to deal with disciplinary matters. Ill-discipline by learners will not be tolerated in our schools.

“The department appeals to parents to assist in enforcing discipline in and outside the school environment,” Mabona said.

He said the learner has been suspended, pending disciplinary processes.

The department’s psycho-social support team was dispatched to the school to provide learners with the necessary support.

On closed Facebook community groups, parents and community members expressed dissatisfaction with the school’s management of the alleged incident.

The school governing body released a statement on April 10, stating that the school is aware of the accusations based on ‘information that has no factual evidence’.

“The governing body is aware of claims that one learner threatened other learners. These threats have only been made vocal and no person has been harmed,” their statement read.

According to the statement, the school has since taken the necessary steps to handle the situation.

The school further stated that the learner was removed from school grounds and will not be allowed onto the school property for seven days.

“The school will do everything in its power to ensure the safety of every learner and the staff. We ask that no further allegations will be disseminated until we establish the facts,” the statement concluded.