Cape Town – The suspended Sans Souci Girls' High School teacher and 16-year-old pupil both appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday – a few courtrooms apart – after they had both laid assault charges against each other.
While the 34-year-old Clarissa Venter's case was conducted in open court and ended up being postponed to April 18 for further investigation, the Grade 9 pupil's case was held in camera.
The pupil who was slapped by her teacher at the beginning of the month after a verbal altercation – seen in a video that went viral – says she never wants to go back to the institution again. The teacher and pupil both remain suspended pending disciplinary hearings.
"It’s toxic. It’s not a safe space for anyone to be, because if you don’t bow down to what they have to say - whether it’s right or wrong - you are then (considered) disrespectful. You are victimised, bullied and treated badly," the pupil told News24.
But her mother insists she has not yet decided whether she will remove her daughter because they "first need to clear this up".
"It’s not nice for any parent to see your child going through all this. I’m trying to protect her from everything," the pupil's mother commented on seeing her daughter appear in court after she had laid the charge on behalf of her daughter.
"When I looked at the video, I was very upset because in my day… never did a teacher slap you through the face and grab you by the chest. What does the teacher expect you to do when they do that?
"I am not saying that when my child is wrong she should not be reprimanded, but treat my child like she is yours. She is under your protections when she is at that school. Treat her fairly."
The Chamber of Legal Students, representing the Sans Souci pupil, have not only lodged a complaint with the Equality Court for the violation of her rights but also called on Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to probe the matter.
"What is clear from the video is the abuse of power and the bullying of a learner who is not in a position to defend herself.
"The videotape showed the teacher being verbally abusive, aggressive through her body language and violating the learner’s privacy."
The lawyers also said they were not happy with the way in which the Western Cape Education Department and the school had dealt with the matter.
“The actions of Sans Souci and the department subsequent to the assault have been appalling. The school has also acted in a very biased manner in favour of the teacher.
“The chamber will be approaching the Minister of Basic Education to request her to launch an independent and impartial investigation into the events at the school as well as the role of the Western Cape Department of Education, which has stood by without making any attempt to protect the learner’s constitutional rights in the face of the breach by the school.”