Pretoria High School for Girls principal Phillipa Erasmus was placed on three-month suspension after one of the learners who lifted the lid on racism allegations.
Parents must be held accountable for the behaviour of their children as schools don’t teach racism.
“The curriculum teaches responsibility, respect, diversity and positive values.”
That is how the Department of Basic Education (DBE) responded to allegations of racism emerging at a number of schools, including at Table View High School, where a substitute teacher allegedly used the K-word during a matric history lesson on black consciousness.
Pressure has been mounting on the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to follow in the footsteps of its Gauteng counterparts, where the MEC announced the suspension of the principal at Pretoria High School for Girls over a race-related incident. However, WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond this week said the cases cannot be compared.
Pretoria High School for Girls principal Phillipa Erasmus was placed on three-month suspension after one of the learners who lifted the lid on racism allegations at the school was allegedly victimised and the principal reportedly did not take action following initial complaints.
The complaints stem from allegations of racism where Grade 12 learners are currently suspended facing charges of serious misconduct for being part of a WhatsApp group that allegedly expressed inappropriate opinions.
At Pinelands High School, learners were filmed on video allegedly “auctioning” black learners who appeared to be caged.
Hammond on Thursday would only say their investigation into the Table View incident is still ongoing.
The department’s Labour Relations has commenced conducting interviews.
The WCED did not respond to questions about the curriculum or what led to the utterance by the educator.
DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said these were matters handled by provinces and at the school level.
“These are societal matters that show up in school, but actually germinate from home and elsewhere in the community. The children learn from adults and repeat what they see. Each community where these incidents occur should take responsibility for it.
“Schools don’t teach racism; the curriculum teaches responsibility, respect, diversity and positive values. Parents must be held accountable for the behaviour of their children.”
The department did not respond to further questions about the curriculum, in particular the use of the K-word in the history lesson.
Justice and Constitutional Development spokesperson Tsekiso Machike denounced reported racism allegations at schools in the Western Cape and Gauteng.
“This year South Africa marks 30 years of freedom and democracy since the country’s democratic elections in 1994. Our courts, especially our designated Equality Courts, have pronounced on the use of the derogatory K-word; there is no place for such in a constitutional democracy which seeks to foster unity in diversity. Indeed, there is no place for racism or any other form of related intolerance in our constitutional democracy, which is anchored on the supremacy of the Constitution.
“Such incidents perpetuate harmful racial discrimination. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is engaging the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and will be monitoring how all these matters will be handled and eagerly awaits the outcome thereof,” said Machike.
University of Johannesburg’s education leadership and management associate professor, Kathija Yassim, said to her knowledge there were no words like the K-word in the South African curriculum.
“However, the curriculum is not prescriptive and additional supplementary materials may be used and included by teachers (like newspaper articles, books, internet resources). This means that teacher discretion and sensitivity is very essential. There is a dearth of material that can be used that does not necessitate the use of words that might be hurtful or cause harm.
“It is unacceptable and requires sensitisation as teachers should build bridges in diverse settings rather than antagonise and divide learners.”
Educators across all disciplines and in all schools need to be trained to facilitate these conversations through school-based programmes that include life orientation and psychology professionals who can assist,” she said.
“These incidents show the need to provide further training and development so that these social concerns can be mitigated. Teachers have to be part of the solution. They need to first think about their own bias and also their own position and find ways to develop deeper self-awareness before being trained to work with learners through everyday interactions and through intended programmes. Part of education is pastoral care that includes difficult conversations and the instilling of values that cement nation building,” said Yassim.
Deputy academic leader of the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Professor Vimolan Mudaly said the allegations of racism at institutions of learning were concerning and the utterances, while unacceptably vile, demonstrate the symptomatic decline in the way people view each other.
“The violence and dishonesty that pervades all of our country has probably psychologically affected some people. Their reactions would be to speak carelessly without consideration for other emotions and human rights. Talks to resolve this will not suffice. We need a concerted change in the curriculum that will teach that all are equal, all are one –across the race, gender and economic limitations,” he said.
Cape Times