Johnathan Paoli
THE National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) has called for the principal of the Pretoria High School for Girls, Phillipa Erasmus, to be immediately fired.
NASGB General-Secretary Matakanye Matakanye said Erasmus’ inaction regarding complaints of racist abuse and bullying was illustrative of how many in the education sector have not embraced the non-racial reality of the country.
“She must be fired because we learnt that this principal has been knowing this thing for the last two years and she has done nothing,” he said.
Following reports of racism incidents at the school, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane on Tuesday announced the three-month suspension of Erasmus, pending the finalisation of the investigation into the allegations.
Earlier this month, the school suspended 12 learners after a racist incident was exposed, where on their whites-only WhatsApp group they demeaned fellow Black learners at the school.
Chiloane said the investigation revealed that eight of the twelve suspended learners are prefects, and that cyberbullying has been prevalent at the school for some time.
“Evidence has come forward that this is not a recent incident. There have been these complaints of alleged racism from last year as well,” he said.
The MEC said the department is currently working to introduce a diversity programme, to be led by the parents body.
“When these things come up, we realise that perhaps the problem might not necessarily be the children, the problem is at home,” Chiloane.
Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Students’ Congress (SASCO) joined a student protest outside the school during the MEC’s visit.
SASCO provincial chair Yandisa Mhlelembana said new management at the school was desperately needed.
“The management is failing us. This is not the first time the school is accused of racism,” he said.
Mhlelembana said there was clearly a deep-seated problem at the school, and whether rehabilitation was possible.
“It can’t be that eight or ten-year-old pupils can groom themselves to perpetuate racism. It can’t be that 30 years after democracy, we are still lingering around the kids with discrimination,” he said.
Tshwane EFF leader Obakeng Ramabodu, welcomed the suspension, but said it remained concerning how the school attempted to deal with the matter.
“We are concerned that parents were forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement. We advise parents not to sign it,” Ramabodu said.
Chiloane has called for calm and urged the political organisations involved to be mindful that the learners are currently busy with exams.
INSIDE EDUCATION
