Hoërskool Nelspruit (NHS) said it is investigating the incident. Photo: Hoërskool Nelspruit website
Hoërskool Nelspruit (NHS) said it is investigating an incident in which a grade eight pupil was allegedly forced to drink his own urine in one of the school’s bathrooms.
The incident which was captured on video happened at the NHS’s boys’ hostel, Huis Hermann Davin, last month.
It is alleged, the grade 8 pupil went to the bathroom during study time and was singled out by both his corridor prefect and the current head boy of the hostel.
According to concerned alumni from the school, the prefect and the hostel head boy, who reportedly had a stick in his hand, then allegedly forced the pupil, as “punishment”, to drink his own urine from a bottle.
In a statement to The Citizen, Mr D De Kock, Chairman of the governing body of NHS, said the incident is viewed in a “serious light as it conflicts with the ethos and vision of the school and hostel”.
“The matter is being handled with the necessary responsibility. Since the investigation is under process and minors are involved, no further information can be disclosed at this stage.
“The governing body requests the opportunity to complete the investigation and asks the school community to trust the process. Every process at school is also an educational process from which lessons can be learned,” De Kock said.
ALSO READ: Stellenbosch University rocked by yet another urinating incident
According to the NHS alumni, the grade eight pupil’s parents were “justifiably upset” by the alleged bullying incident and reported the matter to the school.
The school then launched a disciplinary process which found the older boys guilty of the offence, according to the alumni.
“But, as mitigating circumstances, they found that the learner did not offer severe resistance and was to some extent willing to commit the action. However, this is not relevant in our opinion, because it is unlikely that an eighth grade learner, new and scared in a hostel environment, will offer resistance, especially if the head boy of the hostel is involved.
“It is already an environment where violence is used to regulate behaviour. The school’s ultimate sanction was to remove the hostel head boy’s badge and leadership position for only one term (term 4),” it said.
The alumni said the sanction meted out was “inappropriate”, adding stricter measures should have been taken against the alleged offenders. The alumni did not indicate if any action was taken against the prefect.
“The residence head boy plays a very active role in welcoming new grade eight’s next year at school and at the hostel, and if he is already imposing such actions on grade eight’s, what will he do next year with more new grade eight learners in the hostel?
“It is already bad enough that, as head boy, he not only watched this action, but enforced it, and in our opinion, a proper hostel head boy would stop and report any such behaviours or ideas immediately, not watch nor initiate. If he does and allows this, what else is he going to do and allow?” the alumni asked.
ALSO READ: Free State education department investigating alleged racist fight at Welkom school
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
