Matriculant speaks out: You have to take a beating before you leave

“The school is mismanaged badly,” said Sandy*, an 18-year-old West Ridge High School (WRHS) former prefect after matriculants were suspended on Friday 21 August.

“I was bullied by the head girl, often abused emotionally and verbally in front of my peers,” the girl said in an exclusive interview with the Record.

She was elected prefect in November last year but could not bear serving past April, when she handed back her badge. Other pupils followed suit. According to her the school placed prefect duties ahead of academics and expected children to discipline other children.

“In the last quarter, because we refused to continue as prefects, the school hired bouncers – that is not what school life should be about.”

Also read: Chaos erupts as matrics are chased from school

Teachers allegedly cannot control their classes and on Friday when matriculants’ ’40 days’  celebrations got out of hand, with children from other grades getting involved. Allegedly children were attacked with hair remover and sprayed with bleach, which got into their eyes and mouths. Pupils turned extremely violent and some blocked the main entrance, only allowing others to leave the school after being beaten up. A taxi driver allegedly assaulted a child outside the school grounds. Allegedly parents’ and teachers’ vehicles were damaged.

Because she takes school seriously and didn’t want to partake in the anarchy, Sandy warned her parents ahead of time she would be leaving school at 10am.

“There was blood everywhere.”

“One of my friends was trying to leave but was trapped on the school grounds until after 4pm – the only way to get out, basically, was to take a beating.”

Sandy said Roodepoort Police arrested some of the pupils that afternoon, “but they escaped from the vans with help from other unruly children.”

Sandy alleged that in previous months, there were fights among pupils on a weekly and sometimes even on a daily basis.

“I don’t know where the hostility came from; all I can think is that the lack of discipline at the school and the fact that some of us are of legal age have something to do with it.”

On Monday afternoon her parents received an SMS from WRHS stating, “All Gr 12 learners to attend all classes everyday in full school uniform [sic].”

On Tuesday she attended school in full uniform but the majority of matriculants only pitched for their preliminary exams later in the day. The matrics have restricted access to the sports field and the school hall only while writing their exams.

“I don’t really know what to expect. The school is really unpredictable, but I think there will be more complications during exam times,” she told the Record.

By this morning (Thursday 27 August) WRHS had not responded to allegations or media enquiries yet. The Record finally reached a Mr Gundi at the principal’s office.

“I’m not at liberty to say anything; it’s fine if you’re writing about us but please refer your queries to the Department of Education,” he said.

The Record also learned the school’s governing body’s (SGB’s) meeting about Friday’s events was postponed indefinitely.

* Not her real name.

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