Cape Town - The family of a 16-year-old former grade 10 learner at Mount View High in Hanover Park is struggling to secure a placement after she was bullied and assaulted at the school for two years.
Ragmah Ching said she suffered abuse and bullying by the learners and a teacher and was mocked for being distinct. On February 22, Ching was attacked by three boys at the school premises that left her body bruised and her face swollen.
Ragmah said the incident started after one of the three boys insulted her on Facebook.
“While we were talking, one of the former learners, who now works at the school, jumped in and they all assaulted me. The teacher then grabbed me by my neck and banged my head against the wall. He has a habit of assaulting the learners and a lot of parents have a problem with him. I am now sitting at home and struggling to get a school,” she said.
Ragmah’s sister Nashiefa said the teacher and the learners had been making negative remarks on how she looked and dressed for the past three years she has been at the school.
“We took her out of the school, and immediately requested for a transfer to another school. However, the school refused. We asked the school if they wanted her to be killed as she was once threatened and almost got stabbed but was shielded by her bag. We fear that if we do not act now and take her out of the school, the worst will happen to her,” she said.
Ching said there were videos taken by learners on how the teacher assaulted her and how he also allowed the other male learners to beat her up as well. However, she said the teacher threatened the learners who had the videos to delete them and confiscated majority of the learners' cell phones who refused.
“The fact that he makes fun of her and picks on her in front of the other learners gives them the authority to also intimidate her. Ragmah is not a tomboy or a lesbian, but prefers to have her hair short and wears pants. For her to be assaulted, judged and bullied for how she is, is unfair.
“The school is supposed to be there as a supporting system, and if a child is abused at home the school is supposed to be an escape. It should be there to educate and not break our children,” Ching said
However, the Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Millicent Merton said the school issued a transfer certificate on February 22. Merton said the school reported that the incident did not happen as alleged by the family.
“The learner was involved in an altercation with other learners and staff members tried to intervene,” she said.
Cape Argus