DURBAN - PUPILS at Grosvenor Girls’ High School on the Bluff staged a protest against racism at the school last week.
One pupil, who spoke to The Mercury, said pupils were upset.
“The students of Grosvenor Girls are fed up with the racial discrimination in our school.
“Multiple times we have been subjected to racism by teachers. We are fed up. Enough is enough.”
Another pupil said the pupils felt that their concerns were not being dealt with.
“We’ve dealt with the issue of racism and discrimination for years now but even then our concerns were not addressed.”
KwaZulu-Natal Education Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said that the department was aware of the protest that took place.
“The Department of Education is aware of allegations that point in the direction of racism at Grosvenor Girls’ High School .
“The MEC Kwazi Mshengu has planned meetings with the local district today where the MEC will gather all information about the situation.
“The MEC will also meet the staff of the school and on Tuesday will address the matter in a meeting with parents and learners at the school.”
National Association of School Governing Bodies general secretary Matakanye Matakanya said that the Department of Education should resolve the situation with urgency so learning was not affected.
“While we do not know what has happened at this school, we condemn any form of racism.
“The Department of Education must act quickly to resolve the situation so that if anybody is found accountable they can be dealt with. We can’t allow a situation where learning is affected.”
Earlier this month, Independent Media reported that the Gauteng Department of Education had intervened after a violent altercation allegedly broke out between white and black pupils at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein with allegations that the incident was racially motivated.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the school to address the situation on February 14.
He said all the evidence that had been provided to the department had been handed over to the police and SA Human Rights Commission.
THE MERCURY