Bullying at schools will not be tolerated or condoned
NORTH RIDING - New school has parent angered about her child being bullied in the classroom.
Bullying at North Riding Secondary School has forced a parent Carol Willis, to react.
In an email to the school principal Francois Oosthuizen,Willis stated that her child was being bullied by other pupils constantly. She also accused the principal of doing nothing to assist, and she therefore assumed that he was defending the bullies, by not acting on the matter.
“Twice my child had come home in tears after being bullied by two boys at the school. The situation resulted in vulgarity and sexual harassment. This is not the first time, as one of the other girls in the grade was the subject of racist bullying and the victim of a crude comment made by one of the teachers,” explained Willis in the email.
In response to the matter, Gauteng Department Education spokesperson Phumla Sekhonyane said the department views all allegations of bullying in a very serious light and believes it has no place in the school.
“The department through the district office, will meet with the school management and the parent of the pupil on 13 June in an effort to resolve the matter,” added Sekhonyane.
Oosthuizen could not comment on the matter specifically, but stated that his school does not condone any form of harassment.
“The school has basic policies in place, including the Learner Code of Conduct, which specifically addresses issues like bullying. However, these policies still need refinement. The school currently uses the services of a volunteer counsellor and all pupils have access to this service,” said Oosthuizen.
In conclusion Sekhonyane added, “Last year, the Gauteng Department of Education partnered with Crime Line and police to launch The Young Crime Liners, which is an additional intervention to the department’s five-year Schools Safety Strategy which guides schools and departmental officials in their work.”
