The parent of a Grade 1 learner at eMdibini Combined School is still waiting for a response from the Department of Basic Education after her daughter got injured at school on 26 April and was alleged to have been given first aid by her fellow learners.
The learner was apparently pushed by a Grade 6 learner during break time and was injured behind her ear with a sharp object.
Learners who witnessed the incident, said after the child fell down, the Grade 6 learner instructed her to get up.
Other learners from her grade noticed blood and reported the incident to their class teacher.
The teacher was busy with the school inspector at the time and when she went towards the injured learner, the principal allegedly instructed her to return to the inspector.
The learners ran to their former class teacher and informed her of the incident.
On her arrival, she found the learners were wearing gloves and were trying to give first aid to the injured learner.
They were apparently instructed to clean the injured learner and to wash her shirt that was stained with blood.
The mother of the injured child confirmed that the child’s shirt was washed at school and that she was sent home wearing a netball jersey.
She said the class teacher phoned her to find out how the child was doing.
“I told her I was at work and was not aware that anything was wrong with my child.
“I got permission from work to go home.”
When she arrived, she saw her child’s neck and ear were swollen and took her to the doctor.
The doctor said her child was severely injured and was shocked to hear she was attended to by other learners.
The mother visited the school on 2 May.
“The principal was very rude when I asked her what the teachers did after my child was injured.
“She told me she cannot run after my child during the break and they will not use their cars to take my child to the clinic or the doctor.”
The mother added that what made her angrier, was when she asked the principal what would have happened if her child had died at school because they did not want to summon an ambulance or use their cars.
“She said if she had died, she would have been buried.
“I had to ask her those questions because my child nearly died because the learners were instructed to give first aid.
“She could also not answer when I asked her whether those learners were trained to do first aid.”
The mother also wanted to know whether the parents of the learner responsible for the injury was aware of the injuries that her child had suffered.
The principal said she would write a letter and request them to visit the school for a meeting with both parents and the school governing body.
The meeting took place on 8 May between the parents, the principal and the SGB.
The SGB apologised to the mother on behalf of the school, but things turned ugly when the mother wanted to know what measures will be put in place to ensure something like this does not happen again.
“I was told that I think I am better and more educated than those present.
“The SGB even told me to ‘voertsek’.”
No comment was received from the Mpumalanga Department of Education, but inside sources informed the newspaper that the principal received an email from the department instructing her to explain what had happened.
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