Shocking video footage has surfaced of pupils fighting in a classroom at Margate Middle School last Monday.
The videos, which have been widely circulated, show a pupil being pushed, kicked and punched inside a classroom, where no teacher is present.
https://youtu.be/WUXS-4iZnpY
On Thursday last week, a second video emerged of a teen hitting a pupil outside the school grounds.
Parents who are deeply concerned contacted the Herald regarding the ongoing trouble at the school, believed to involve boys in grades 10, 11 and 12.
After the classroom fight on Monday a message was sent to one parent by a teacher, warning her not to send her children to school as messages circulating on WhatsApp indicated that certain pupils would be ‘targeted’.
ALSO READ : Bullying allegations investigated at Margate Middle School
“Fights occur both inside and outside the school almost every day, and bullying, racial threats, violence, weapons and drugs are rife. In some cases, lessons are not taking place. No emergency meeting has been called by the department of education or the school, and I am horrified at what is going on,” said the parent.
“My child ran home one morning after being followed in the corridor by two boys with their ties wrapped around their knuckles. The school is a horror show. It is unacceptable and totally out of hand. This is not a safe learning environment for children.”
Another parent said the problems at the school were ‘unbelievable’.
“My son calls the school a ‘rehab centre’ as all the children who have been expelled from other schools bring their problems to Margate Middle School. I am very concerned that the grade 8 pupils, who have just started high school, will be affected by this.”
The Herald has also received reports of a pupil carrying a gun to school while weapons including knives are reportedly not unheard of on the school premises.
In a separate incident on Tuesday last week, police responded to a complaint of an armed robbery near the school.
Police spokesman Sergeant Sibu Ncane said a youth (17) was attacked by four men.
“According to the teen the men asked him the whereabouts of his friends. When he told them he did not know where they were, the men assaulted him with their fists and a golf club before threatening him with a firearm and taking his belongings.
“The boy also told the police that these same men had later waited for him outside the school, and when he emerged, assaulted him again.”
Margate detectives arrested two people, aged 18 and 25 years, last Friday. A third man (21) was arrested last Sunday.
All three have been charged with armed robbery.
They appeared in the Ramsgate Magistrate’s Court this earlier this week and the case was postponed to February 28.
They will remain in police custody.
In yet another incident, the Herald received a phone call last week from a motorist who was driving through Margate Ext 3 when she came across a large group of Margate Middle School pupils crossing the road.
She hooted to alert them to her approach, but instead of moving out of the way, she said they remained in the road, turned, folded their arms and glared at her.
“I felt so threatened and intimidated, and I was forced to reverse out of a scary situation,” she said.
When approached for a response to these claims, Margate Middle School principal, Bongani Jama said he could not comment, adding that the Herald should contact the department of education.
An email was sent to department of education spokesman, Elijah Mhlanga, but no response was received at the time of going to press.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
