Johannesburg - There was more tragedy around the Gauteng province on Tuesday when a Ferndale High School pupil fell to his death from the third floor. The Grade 10 pupil fell to his death after suffering an epilepsy seizure.
Netcare 911 paramedics said the incident happened just after 9.30am on Tuesday morning.
“Netcare 911 responded to reports of a fall at a school in Randburg. Reports from the scene allege that a minor male had fallen from a third floor balcony,” said Herbst.
Steve Mabona, the spokesperson for Gauteng Department of Education, said the epileptic seizure led to the 16-year-old jumping to his death from the third floor.
Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has in recent days continously appealed for divine intervention as the death of the pupil, means at least 11 pupils in Gauteng have been killed in school-related deaths since the start of the 2020 academic year.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/EducationGP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EducationGP @Steve_Mabona https://t.co/bsGsWbvYJm
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi)
“The Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi is distraught about another incident which led to the death of a learner in Ferndale High School. The incident happened on Tuesday morning where the boy learner allegedly experienced a seizure which emanated from a diagnosis of epilepsy,” said Mabona.
Mabona said the pupil was sent to a hospital after emergency services were called to the school. He later died in hospital, he said.
“This is another death which has struck us as the Gauteng Department of Education, we are lost for words, we don’t know what to say anymore.
“It is unfortunate that we need to go face the family and say this is what transpired and convey our condolences,” he said.
He said the department’s psycho social unit team has been dispatched to the school. Mabona described the pupil’s death as “sad and unfortunate”.
Paramedics had earlier reported that the boy was in a “stable condition” and had commended the school for their swift reaction.
“Circumstances leading up to the falls are not known however the school needs to be commended on their quick reaction to the incident,” Herbst had said.
The school would not comment on the incident, relaying questions back to the Education Department.