A school safety search gone wrong at Freedom Secondary School
“Since opening this school, it has gone down badly. Teachers are not at school, teachers fight amongst themselves and pupils are vandalising the school,” - Panyaza Lesufi.
Gauteng education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, visited Freedom Secondary School on Friday, April 12 in hopes to talk to learners and parents about what transpired at the school the day before, Thursday, April 11.
It is alleged that learners assaulted and stoned members of the police, also smashing their vehicles. The police were on the premises to conduct a search for drugs and violent instruments.
According to the learners, most of them were in class when the police arrived. It is understood that the students who were in their classrooms during the police visit were frightened when they heard someone discharge a firearm on the school premises.
Learners said that the approach of the officers was wrong.
“When they arrived they spoke to us like we were nothing. They called us blacks and said that they had the right to search us because we were blacks. We felt that we were being disrespected, that’s how it all started,” another learner added.
However, MEC Panyaza Lesufi has identified learner discipline as one of the priorities of the department and vowed to visit the school again Monday.
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Lesufi said that he will investigate the matter and ensure that learning continues at the school. The MEC also said that since opening the school only a few years ago, the conditions have deteriorated drastically.
“Since opening this school, it has gone down badly. Teachers are not at school, teachers fight amongst themselves and pupils are vandalising the school,” said Lesufi.
“If this continues then I will have to close the school because it seems education is not a priority here,” he added.
It is alleged that Three leaners were arrested on the day but has been released in the custody of their parents. Lesufi said that school searches are important and that learners cannot refuse to be searched. “However, whether the police were right or wrong, our learners need to be protected,” said Lesufi.
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