Durban - The school teacher who was caught on video beating pupils at a KwaNongoma school has been suspended with immediate effect.
The geography teacher, who stays in a cottage on the premises of the Prince Tokotoko High School, was not present at the schoolon Tuesday morning when a delegation from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education arrived, led by MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane.
It also emerged on Tuesday morning during a meeting of the school governing body, department officials and Dlungwane, that over and above the five pupils who had been beaten in the video which went viral last week, school teachers at the school had been warned by the school governing body against corporal punishment last year.
Dlungwane expressed disgust at the actions of the teacher and ordered the principal, Lungile Zungu, to suspend her immediately. “So it is not the first time a learner has been beaten, the school governing body has raised this issue before?” he asked angrily.
Dlungwane said: “We want a report of last year’s incident. What were the consequences? We cannot have teachers that abuse children. She cannot continue to teach our kids.
“It must be clear to all, we will not allow abuse of children. That is illegal. That teacher must be suspended immediately.
“This is a place of learning, we need to send a clear message to anyone that if we find you abusing children in any way, we will take strong action. We are not playing, we are serious,” he said.
Zungu defended herself, saying she had only been the principal for five months, though she was at the school last year. She did not shed further light on the incident.
Zungu told the MEC she had not been able to discipline the teacher when she heard about the incident last week.
She had telephoned the teacher, she said, only to be told she was sick.
Although it has been confirmed that the recent incident occurred in April, the principal told the MEC she had only become aware of it last week.
Dlungwane asked: “Why are we abusing our children when they should be learning, what is happening? How does that happen when you are in charge?” he asked, addressing Zungu. “We are here to find out what happened.”
School governing body members and a school departmental head all denied that corporal punishment was a common occurrence at the school.
A school governing body official, Mthunzi Mdletshe, deputy chairman of the SGB, said they had intervened last year and the school teachers concerned had apologised for the incident.
Dlungwane ordered the principal and the school governing body to compile a report for the department, detailing last year’s incident and what had been done to remedy the situation.
Daily News