The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has suspended, with immediate effect, a 16-year-old Grade 10 girl from Hoërskool Jan Viljoen for allegedly assaulting a 16-year old Grade 9 boy.
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The GDE confirmed that the incident took place on Tuesday, 12 November at the said school after writing their exams. This emanates from video footage that went viral on social media, in which the girl is seen assaulting the boy.
According to Steve Mabona, GDE spokesperson, “It is unfortunate that the incident happened at a time when learners are busy with their year-end examinations.
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.
“The SGB will facilitate the disciplinary process in due course and the Department will ensure that proper procedures are followed. The school will be assisted to come up with preventative measures to prevent the possibility of a recurrence. While the matter may be concluded as soon as the disciplinary hearing is finalised, remedial action may take longer, depending on the programmes that the learner may be subjected to, such as a diversion programme for behaviour modification and counselling.”
Panyaza Lesufi, MEC for Education in Gauteng, said learners must be reminded that schools are for education and as such they must always focus on being enriched with knowledge for their successful future endeavours.
“Ill-discipline will not assist learners to achieve any objectives in schools. We have a policy of zero tolerance towards bullying or any form of misconduct. Anyone found to be transgressing this policy is dealt with in line with the South African Schools Act (SASA) code of conduct, which governs all schools. Schools are urged to enforce their codes of conduct to deal with bullying and other disciplinary matters.
The Department appeals to parents to assist with the enforcement of discipline in and outside the school environment.
“We urge principals and educators to respond appropriately when cases of bullying, violence and intimidation are reported. Ignoring these reports makes the victim feel more vulnerable and subjected to secondary trauma if adults 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,” said MEC Lesufi.
