Cape Town - Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein is functional and not racist, but needs support to manage diversity, the teachers and educators told Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi.
“They [the educators] also felt they need assistance. They need support to manage diversity, and they need support to manage the new environment they find themselves in where there are children that they have not taught before, and these children are inside their classrooms,” Lesufi told the parents on Sunday.
“But what they emphasised, which is something that I am taking is that Jan Viljoen is a functional school. We might have problems, but we are a functional school that is struggling to manage diversity and that is going through a transitional process.”
He said they indicated that they needed support.
Lesufi met with parents on Sunday to discuss diversity and conduct after violent clashes at the school.
On February 14, the department said a violent altercation allegedly broke out on February 11 between black and white learners at the school, with some believing it was racially motivated.
Lesufi told the parents on Sunday that he understood that they were there to be parents and they loved all their children.
“[The teachers] reaffirmed this point, racism has no room in their school. That they themselves will do everything to confront racism,” he said.
Lesufi added that he was encouraged by that statement. He said that the teaching population of the school was not representative of the population of the country.
“The school is moving with speed to rectify that element. They indicated that they have just appointed a person in their teacher register so that they move with speed to accommodate that equality,” he said.
Lesufi said they were actively working to appoint an ethnically diverse group of educators.
In his opening statement, Gauteng Education MEC @Lesufi told the parents of Hoërskool Jan Viljoen that the school is embarking on an important process of change, & he encouraged the management team to take a decision to enable diversity in the school. #HoerskoolJanViljoen pic.twitter.com/lzK73YUTis
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) February 20, 2022
On February 14, Lesufi said one of the outcomes following a visit to the school was that the school governing body must continue with disciplinary action against the perpetrators of the violent clashes.
“The purpose of the visit was to obtain a report from the school leadership on the incident that occurred at the school on Friday,” said spokesperson Oupa Bodibe at the time.
Lefusi was joined by MEC for Social Development, Morakane Mosupyoe, along with other dignitaries.
The MEC met with the principal, the school governing body, school management, police as well pupils.
These were some of the actions implemented:
- Racism from any quarter is condemned and will be attacked.
- The principal has collated evidence and has requested anyone with information to come forward with the information. This evidence will be given to the South Africa Human Rights Commission, the police and the SGB for further investigation.
- The police will continue with the investigation of the four cases and submit findings to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision.
- The South African Human Rights Commission will be requested to investigate allegations of racism and other forms of discrimination.
- The SGB must continue with disciplinary action against the perpetrators.
- A staff member employed by the SGB accused of sexual harassment will be placed on precautionary suspension. Department of Social Development will take statements from any interested party.
- The Department will implement a programme of Diversity Management to assist the school as it goes through the crucible of transformation.
IOL