Rustenburg - A Grade 12 learner was stabbed six times, allegedly by another learner at Kebonang Secondary School in Mmabatho near Mafikeng, the North West Education department said on Friday.
Department spokesperson Elias Malindi said the Grade 12 learner, aged 23, was allegedly stabbed by another Grade 12 learner, aged 21, on Thursday, following a fight between the two.
"It is alleged that there was physical fighting after school between two learners wherein the security personnel reprimanded the two learners to stop fighting. The physical fighting continued irrespective of the earlier intervention by the security personnel.
"It is reported that the other learner rushed out of school and came back with a knife. He chased the learner who tried to separate them and stabbed him six times," he said.
"The securities managed to step in on time and the injured learner was taken for safety at the staff room. The school called the police and ambulance. He was rushed to Bophelong Hospital wherein he was stitched and later discharged."
North West Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela met with the school management and condemned the incident.
“On behalf of the department I would like to condemn this uncivilised incident of a learner stabbing another learner. Our schools are centres of learning and teaching, not battlefields. We are not going to harbour criminals in our schools, the law must take it own cause. Our primary responsibility is to teach learners and we do not teach them to stab other learners,” said Matsemela.
She said that schools should ensure their school safety and admission policies were known by learners and teachers.
“Everybody at school should know and understand the school safety policy and admission policies. Schools should refer elder learners to relevant centres for adult learning. An elderly learner should (not) be admitted at school unless under extreme circumstances. The same age cohort learners at school do not bully each other but they love and care for each other," she said.
She urged the school to institute disciplinary processes with immediate effect against the learners who had contravened the code of conduct.
She said the learner who had allegedly stabbed the other learner would be provided with an alternative examination centre since his safety was not guaranteed at the school.
The injured learner reported to school on Friday after being discharged from the hospital. Counselling for the learners and teachers has been arranged.
The school has a total of five security personnel, with three on duty during the day, while two work during the night and are paid by the school.