Disruptions continued at George Campbell Technical High School on Tuesday when teachers refused to teach, demanding that the “instigator” of recent unrest at the Durban school be removed from the classroom.
Last week, pupils protested against various issues, including racism. They claimed they had been victimised and called “monkeys” and the K-word.
These claims have been corroborated by several members of the school community.
Department of Education spokesperson Sihle Mlotshwa said on Sunday that the department had resolved to suspend two employees and that teaching and learning was expected to return to normal on Monday.
However, sources at the school said teachers did not arrive for work on Monday. They were there yesterday, but they refused to teach.
National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA chief executive Therona Moodley said union representatives were at the school yesterday morning.
“There was no teaching and learning taking place,” she said.
This had to do with a voice note and a video circulated on social media at the weekend. In the voice note, a pupil was heard telling his peers to flip cars over, and in the video a pupil was seen pushing a teacher.
The perpetrator of the assault was still part of the school population, she said.
Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie spokeswoman Leann Roos said racism was unacceptable.
“But one has to wonder whether the pupils at George Campbell had the right to take the matter into their own hands,” Roos said.
“Is violence an answer in this situation? Who is protecting the rights of the pupils to receive an education? Who has accepted the responsibility for the safety of pupils and staff at the school while the protests continue? Why are parents allowing their children to behave in such a manner?”
Education spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said yesterday that George Campbell teachers were told that a protest would be unprotected and dismissible, and that they would have to wait for an interim investigation report before any action would be taken against pupils.