South Africa has seen several incidents of bullying in schools. Despite anti-bullying awareness efforts by education officials and several organisations, these incidents continue to happen, becoming more severe.
Eight learners from Milnerton Hight School have appeared in court on charges of assault in the latest incident following a disturbing video circulating on social media.
They used various objects, including a belt and a hockey stick to assault a 16-year-old learner. The assault happened in what appears to be a locker room on school premises.
As music blared intermittently in the background, some pupils appeared cheerful and unfazed while the camera panned across the room.
The pupils have since been suspended by the Department of Education and separately arrested by police.Moulana M Salma weighs in on the subject of bullying.
They appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The court set bail at R2 000 for each of the pupils. The conditions of their bail require the boys to avoid contacting the complainants and witnesses directly or indirectly and arrangements have been made for them to write their exams in a separate venue.
There were not the only incidents reported this week
- In Boksburg, a Grade 9 pupil was stabbed by a group of eight males who had jumped over the school fence.
- A video has surface of a group of female pupils assaulting another pupil at Oos-Rand Commerce and Entrepreneurship School in Reiger Park
- A male pupil is under investigation after an incident in which he is alleged to have physically assualted and abused a female pupil.
- A Boksburg mother has raised the alarm after fellow pupils at Freeway Park Primary reportedly punched her son in the private parts the mother claims this incident, is the latest in a long history of bullying that has left her child emotionally scarred and struggling at school.
Many stressed educators at state schools are quitting their jobs, taking early retirement or moving overseas due to growing violence at schools.
Mr Riedwaan Ahmed, president of the National Professional teachers’ Organisation (Naptosa), has called for drastic state action while others are calling on parents to intervene