EXASPERATED pupils at Fish Hoek High have triggered the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to issue directives to address racism at schools after standing up against racial slurs uttered by a teacher in class..
A teacher allegedly used the K-word in class on May 23, sparking a protest by pupils.
Pupils said even though the teacher offered an apology, they believed that the school had not acknowledged the severity of the action.
“The apology was weak and insincere.
“She told the class, which is predominantly people of colour, that she was apologising but did not know what she was apologising for.
“At the end of the lesson we initiated a discussion on the use of the K- and N-words but she refused to participate as the matter had already been reported to the school management,” said the pupils.
The teacher was suspended and was expected to appear before a disciplinary process initiated by the School Governing Body (SGB), the department said.
The incident at Fish Hoek High School comes a few weeks after an alleged racist incident at the University of Stellenbosch and three months after another incident rocked Milnerton High School.
A Grade 12 pupil at the school said the use of the word during an Afrikaans lesson was unwarranted and not in a “historical context” as initially claimed by the school and was not even used in the textbook, “Fiela se Kind”.
The pupil said there was no need for the teacher to educate them about the word.
Some pupils also alleged that it was not the first time that the teacher used derogatory terms when referring to people of colour.
“In the past she used H*******t and the n-word at random.
“It was never in the context of a book or a poem she was teaching.
“It was quite off-topic,“ said a pupil.
However, last week the pupils decided “enough was enough” and confronted the alleged racism, Islamophobia and homophobic stereotypes.
“We feel that it is always left up to us as learners to try and educate the teachers why they cannot use discriminatory words.
“It’s not our responsibility as learners to sort out these school issues but here we are.
“We never know when to expect hate crime.
“It’s a systemic issue, those in power seem not to be able to understand and see situations from the perspective of those in the margins,” said the pupils.
The pupils alleged that issues of discrimination were not given the same attention as smoking, or vaping in bathrooms even when they were reported to school management.
Provincial education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department recognised that schools need to “redouble their efforts” in addressing the inequalities and prejudices that still existed.
Hammond said the department asked the school to review its code of conduct to ensure that “all potentially discriminatory aspects were removed”.
The schools were also asked to initiate or continue open discussions with parents, pupils and teachers on diversity and inclusivity with outcomes that would lead to changes in approaches, practices and actions where appropriate.
This week, officials from the department engaged with pupils and school staff about the allegations.
The school did not respond to questions on whether it had an anti-racism policy and if so, how it was implemented.
However, the school said it took racism “very seriously” and was following “due process” about the allegations.
“We confirm that the entire matter is subject to an independent investigation, and we are not at liberty to divulge any further information.
“We hope to find a resolution in the near future,” the statement said.
The pupils called for meaningful efforts to resolve their concerns and the implementation of transformation at the school, which only had two black teachers.
They also called for an independent investigation into the concerns.
“When my father became aware of the investigation he remarked that he was reminded of how in the apartheid era, the police would be the ones investigating brutality complaints against their colleagues,” one pupil said.
“Our initiative to confront racism and discrimination has now become bigger than us.
“We feel that the school was more concerned about its reputation rather than the traumatic experience we suffered,” they said.
They raised concerns that the school “barely catered” for Muslim pupils, alleging that exams or tests or parent/teacher meetings were scheduled on Eid and during the holy month of Ramadaan.
“One teacher told a student that they could not rewrite a test they missed on Eid, insulted the Islam religion while another associated stereotypes with Muslims, saying they thought all Muslims were terrorists.
“We have to be from the Middle East if we are Muslim,” the learners alleged.
Hammond said the department condemned any form of racism or any prejudice and embraced inclusivity.
The SA Human Rights Commission, which is investigating alleged racism incidents at Milnerton High School and Stellenbosch University, said it was not aware of the incident and had not received a complaint.
It would only launch an investigation after receiving a complaint, it said.