Police will investigate charge against Kempie ‘bully’

A Grade Nine Hoërskool Kempton Park learner will face disciplinary action tonight [Wednesday evening], following a bullying incident in one of the school’s bathrooms last week.

The Gauteng MEC for Education and Youth Development, Panyaza Lesufi, strongly condemned the bullying incident after visiting the school on Wednesday morning.

“The school’s governing body will institute the necessary disciplinary process, which will commence this evening. All affected parents will be kept abreast throughout the process,” Lesufi said in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.

“In the interim, the perpetrator will write exams in isolation. Psycho-social support has been offered to all affected parties and the police investigation on the matter is also underway.”

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• Kempie learner faces disciplinary action after bathroom video

What schools can do about bullying

As bullying is viewed in a serious light, Lesufi said the department had developed an anti-bullying school policy exemplar for use by all public schools in developing their own customised policy.

“Schools are a microcosm of what is happening in society and the violence we are witnessing in school environments mirrors what is happening in our communities.” The GDE views school violence in a serious light and in response to these challenges has done the following:

• Established the Security Services and Safe Schools Management Directorate with full time coordinators at district and head office level.

• Developed and distributed in 2012 to all public schools in Gauteng the School Safety Policy Exemplar for use by schools in developing, formulating and customising a compliant school safety policy.

• The provincial school safety strategy provides for psycho-social support for learners and their families if the need arises in dealing with challenges that lead to violent conduct.

For this purpose the department has partnered with the Departments of Health, Social Development, Community Safety and NGOs such as NICRO, SANCA, Love Life, Teddy Bear Clinic, Fear Free Life (ex-convicts out on parole) etc.

• The department also runs parenting workshops.

• Bullies diversion programme (camps).

• Conduct regular unannounced search and seizure operations at high risk schools.

• Guided prison tours.

• Conduct disciplinary procedures for learners focusing on suspensions and expulsions at high risk schools, as well as schools that request the service.

• Advocacy programmes focusing on bullying in all its forms, racism, homophobia, xenophobia etc.

“Learner discipline has been identified as one of the priorities of the department. Ill-discipline will not be tolerated. We strongly condemn any acts of learner misconduct, which seeks to undermine the dignity of our learning institutions,” said Lesufi.

“Furthermore, we relentlessly appeal to parents in assisting to enforce discipline in and outside the school environment. Learners must be reminded that schools are for education and as such they must always focus on being enriched with knowledge for their successful future endeavours. Ill-discipline will not assist learners to achieve any objectives in schools.”