Durban - The use of dagga and drugs at schools in KwaZulu-Natal has again come under the spotlight after one of South Africa’s top boys’ schools, Maritzburg College, expelled a pupil for being in possession of dagga.
The school had adopted a zero tolerance approach towards transgressions and the Education Department embraced this approach at all learning institutions.
This was said in papers before the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday in an application brought by the school to force the Education MEC to decide on the appeal of the expelled pupil.
A report compiled by two advocates who were part of the school’s disciplinary committee said that the Grade 11 pupil had a “dismal record”. In the past two and a half years he had accumulated 13 detentions and had been caught fighting twice. His latest offence was the second time he had been caught with dagga.
“The presence of the use of dagga at Maritzburg College in itself calls for the rooting out of those who partake in such offences,” it said.
The headmaster, Christopher Luman, said in an affidavit that the boy started at the school as a boarder in 2012, but was asked to leave last February after admitting to possessing marijuana on the school premises.
However, he remained as a day scholar and was given a final warning. He was counselled about the effects of dagga and cautioned that he would not be given another chance. Six months later, he was found in possession of a cigarette box filled with dagga at a school function.
He pleaded guilty at his hearing and expulsion was his punishment. In March, the head of the education department, Nkosinathi Sishi, approved the recommendation.
When the second term began, the boy returned to school. His father said he had appealed against the expulsion.
“This was the first time the school was aware of the appeal. To this day the school has not been shown a copy of the appeal documents,” said Luman.
On numerous occasions the had school tried to get feedback from the department, but failed. He said the department should have decided within 14 days of receiving the appeal.
The pupil’s father said in an affidavit that the sentence was too harsh and should have been suspended for a certain period, which would have had the “desired positive effect”.
On Tuesday, Judge Anton van Zyl ordered the MEC to take a decision on the appeal within 10 days of being served the court order.
In March last year, it was reported that a Kearsney College Grade 11 pupil had tested positive for steroids in a routine test. He had been expelled and his father brought an application for him to be allowed back to school, which was temporarily granted, so that he could write his exams.
The pupil had tested positive for the steroid Sustanon, which cannot be legally obtained in South Africa at all.
Sanca’s Durban manager of prevention services, Walter Petersen, said drug and alcohol abuse were an increasing problem, at all social levels, among boys and girls.
He said expulsion was a school’s last line of action.
“They must first try to assist the child, by for example counselling.”
Petersen said sanctions were meted out according to individual cases.
The Mercury