East school beefs up security after alleged fights
Two learners had to be taken to hospital after being involved in a brawl.
According to the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), Willowridge High School in The Willows has beefed up security measures after alleged fights occurred at the school.
Two learners were taken to hospital as a brawl involving the gang of learners last month prompted police to use pepper spray to separate them.
Those learners are currently undergoing disciplinary processes, said the department.
Parents who wished to remain anonymous out of fear that their children would be victimised told Rekord the school had been plagued by a string of huge fights, which the school staff failed to control.
They alleged the fights might be “school gang” related.
The parents further alleged that the school has been faced with shortages of teachers as they come and go due to failed leadership.
Education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said the school had recently increased the number of security personnel and was further supported by the police, ADT private security company and metro police.
Mabona said information at the department’s disposal revealed that an altercation between a parent and a group of boys allegedly sparked a fight.
“The department is aware of the commotion that took place on Friday, March 15 outside the school, [at] which unfortunately learners sustained injuries and were taken to a local clinic.”
Mabona said necessary disciplinary processes were underway against implicated learners.
“The outcome thereof will be communicated in due course to all affected parties,” Mabona said.
According to him, the GDE ensures proper procedures such as disciplinary hearings and psychosocial support are followed.
“The school is being assisted to come up with preventative measures, to curb the possibilities of 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 learners may be subjected to, such as diversion programmes for behaviour modification and counselling, he said.
“A team of district officials, the psycho-social support team, has been allocated to assist the school,” he told Rekord.
He said the department strongly condemned any acts of misconduct, which seek to undermine the dignity of learning institutions.
“Schools are urged to enforce their codes of conduct to deal with disciplinary matters.”
The department continues to appeal to parents in helping to enforce discipline in and outside the school environment.
“On the issue of teacher resignations, three teachers resigned for personal reasons, two teachers migrated abroad, and one accepted a position at a private school,” Mabona said.
He added that consequently, whenever there is a vacant post, the department ensures that schools immediately start the process of filling such vacancies to ensure that learners are not without a teacher in class.
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