A teacher who was recently stabbed three times by a 20-year-old pupil at Lindile Secondary School has said he fears for his life and his family.
Speaking to the Highvelder in an exclusive interview after his three months’ leave, Mr X (name withheld for fear of further victimisation) spoke of his anguish and how unsafe he feels every time he walks into the school yard.
He said he was still traumatised, but had to return to the school because of his love and passion for teaching.
“I haven’t completely healed and the fact that the boy that attacked me was a member of a notorious gang doesn’t make things easy for me and my family. I walk around looking over my shoulder to see if there’s anybody following or walking up to me, I have even stopped going to public places that I used to before, because I get edgy and afraid around a group of people,”said Mr X.
The pupil attacked him on 18 April, after he had already attacked two fellow pupils. The boy confronted Mr X in his office and demanded to talk to him. Unsuspecting, Mr X put away his cell phone to pay attention to the assailant. Before he realised what was happening, the pupil had drawn a knife and started stabbing him.
“His first strike was to my head and he launched two more strikes to my chest. I got up from my chair and wrestled with him for the knife which I managed to take away from him. He fled the office and I gave chase, but was stopped by a colleague who saw me bleeding.”
“Being attacked at school where one thought it was safe was a very traumatic experience for me. My level of confidence has been lowered and it has become difficult to reprimand disruptive, unruly and aggressive learners,” said Mr X.
Mr X also voiced his disappointment with the Department of Education for not playing their part.
“I’m told the circuit manager visited the school weeks after the incident, while the police visited the school more than the department’s officials. As my employer, the department never bothered to follow up on my progress. It was only when I had to go to them to complete the necessary documentation that they asked how I was doing. I’ve been back at work since 18 July but again my employer has not bothered to check up on me to see if I’m coping.”
He was, however, grateful to the school principal and his colleagues that visited him in hospital and at home.
Security at the school remains a challenge as the school fence has been cut in some sections.
A request for comment from the Mpumalanga Department of Education had not been replied to by the time of going to print.
