The Pinelands High School learners captured on video footage “selling off” their black peers as “slaves” have been given sanctions of a “restorative nature”, according to the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED).
The five were suspended after the video with the caption “slavery at schools is crazy” went viral, where black learners were caged in what appeared to be a storage space while their coloured peers pretended to auction them off.
The WCED on Monday said that the SGB disciplinary process had been finalised.
“The necessary disciplinary procedures were followed. The outcome of the process and the sanctions have been communicated to the parents and learners involved. The sanctions are restorative in nature and include participating in various workshops and learning programmes, as well as community service.
“The sanctions were designed to help the children involved gain a deeper understanding of the seriousness of the incident and its impact on others. This outcome was supported by the parents and learners involved, including the victims,” said WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond.
“The school has indicated its commitment to continuing its journey in promoting non-racialism and diversity.”
Parents for Equal Education South Africa founder Vanessa Le Roux said children could be rehabilitated if parents led by example and punishment was meted out equally for black and white people.
“Yes, children can be rehabilitated if their parents know we are all human and should be treated with respect regardless of race, background, culture,” she said.
Meanwhile, there is still no outcome in the disciplinary hearing of a Table Bay High School substitute teacher accused of using the k-word during a history class.
The teacher was subsequently suspended following outrage by parents who called for action immediately after the allegations emerged, saying the teacher was being protected at the expense of a learner’s feelings.
Approached for an update on the matter, Hammond said the disciplinary hearing was still under way.
To this, Le Roux said: “For the white teacher, nothing will happen, she will in all likelihood also go into a programme that means nothing. The disciplinary process should not be taking so long.
If you don’t see anything wrong with what you did and say, I am sorry I hurt anyone. She simply refused, is that someone that is sorry? Then children are left to be taught by people who are not sorry for hurting them. The only way we will curb incidents of racism is by implementing one treatment, one punishment irrespective of race, but there is a rule for white and there is a rule for black teachers,” she said.
Cape Times