Grade 10 girl suspended from Gauteng school after assault on boy

A 16-year-old Grade 10 female pupil at Jan Viljoen Hoërskool was suspended with immediate effect for allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old Grade 9 male pupil, the Gauteng Department of Education said on Thursday.

The incident happened on Tuesday after the two wrote their exams, spokesperson Steve Mabona said.

Mabona said the suspension emanated from video footage which went viral on social media, showing the female pupil assaulting a male pupil.

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“It is unfortunate that the incident happened at the time when learners are busy with their year-end examinations,” he said.

“We strongly condemn any misdemeanour in schools, which could lead to serious action being taken against a learner. We have dispatched our psycho-social team to provide necessary support to all affected by the said incident.”

Mabona said the school governing body would facilitate the disciplinary process in due course and that the department would ensure that proper procedures were followed.

Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi urged principals and educators to respond appropriately when cases of bullying, violence and intimidation were reported.

“Ignoring these reports makes the victim feel more vulnerable and subjected to secondary trauma of adults that show a cavalier attitude. We also urge our learners to refrain from any acts of misconduct in schools, as it will impact negatively on their performance,” Lesufi said.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Mabona said a group of parents locked the gates at Mountainview Secondary School in Heidelberg on Tuesday, preventing teachers and pupils from entering the school yard.

Mabona said the parents had indicated that they had long-standing grievances which were not being addressed by the district.

He said, due to the disruptions at the school, Grade 9 and Grade 11 pupils could not write their exams. He said the exams would be rescheduled to another date and that pupils would continue as normal from Friday.

However, he added that it was encouraging that the Grade 12 pupils had been transported by officials to an undisclosed venue where they continued with their examinations.

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