Durban: Learning has been disrupted at a school in Durban after pupils began displaying “ancestral calling”.
According to a letter issued by AD Lazarus Secondary School in New Germany Road, Reservoir Hills, an urgent decision was taken to dismiss pupils with immediate effect.
“The reason for this urgent decision is several learners are displaying ancestral calling which is now out of control and disrupting learning and teaching.”
The school called for understanding and sensitivity in this matter.
“We are taking every precaution under the circumstances to ensure the safety of our learners.”
Rodney Moodley, from Inkosi Security, said they were outside the school monitoring the situation.
Moodley said parents were rushing to the school to collect their children.
“However, everything is calm for now.”
Spokesperson for the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Kwazi Mthethwa, said: “The department does not discriminate against any learners. We will have to verify this information before we make a formal statement.”
Earlier this week, in a separate incident, learning was disrupted at schools in Phoenix after pupils allegedly participated in a Tik Tok challenge.
Police said pupils from different schools in Phoenix embarked on rebellious behaviour, by illegally gathering in groups, stoning vehicles, and disrupting school and damaging school property.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said:“One of the motives behind this, is that they are allegedly following a Tik Tok challenge, where the video challenged cross gender dressing, where male pupils must wear skirts to school.
She said pupils then went to Woodview Park, chanting, running around with sticks in the park.
“The police were called and crowd was dispersed.”
IOL