The Free State Department of Education has promised to scale up a disciplinary hearing following a viral video of a brawl between a teacher and a Grade 8 pupil at Hoër Tegniese Skool Welcome earlier this month.
The incident, which took place on September 2, caused widespread unrest after the video surfaced on social media this week.
Sibusiso Majola, the department’s media adviser, told TimesLIVE the investigation would be concluded shortly and disciplinary recommendations would follow next week.
“There has been an investigation and that process is about to be completed. At this point we are about to have a final report and the public will be informed about that,” he said.
The video shows the teacher and the student getting into a physical confrontation over a cell phone. Majola said the confrontation started after the teacher asked the student to turn off the phone because it was disrupting class, but the student reportedly refused.
He explained that the process took longer because multiple stakeholders were involved.
“The process is almost complete and the reason for that is that there were a number of stakeholders involved. Don’t forget that there are teacher representations in the form of unions, and there is also the SGB,” he said.
While the circumstances surrounding the altercation are unclear, he said the department is taking the matter seriously.
“The MEC [Dr Mamiki Julia Maboya] looks at these matters in a very serious tone. It has implications for the teaching and learning processes, as well as the integrity and reputation of teaching at the classroom level,” Majola said.
Maboya has publicly condemned the incident.
“This is deeply disturbing … and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We take this matter seriously. The safety of everyone on school grounds remains our highest priority.
“Such ill-discipline will not be tolerated. Schools are for development, not for other self-destructive activities,” she noted.
TimesLIVE
Modiegi Mashamaite
www.timeslive.co.za
