Education
With regard to the assault by a teacher, whose name has been furnished to her Department for the purpose of the reply, at the Sans Souci Girls’ High School:
(1) (a) What remedial action was implemented by her Department in response to this incident and (b) what are the detailed steps and timelines of the action;
(2) whether her Department laid charges of assault against this person with the SAPS; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether her Department applied for an interdict against this person to prevent her from having access to the school; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether her Department laid charges against the teacher with the South African Council of Educators (SACE); if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the details of the charges laid, (b) on which date the charges were laid and (c) what is the SACE reference number?
(1) (a) and (b) The teacher is appointed by the School Governing Body, as such is not a WCED employee and not subject to WCED disciplinary processes. The WCED did, however, engage with the school at the time to ensure the relevant processes were instituted by the SGB, which they were.
A disciplinary hearing was held by the SGB. The dates for the hearing were the 12th and 14th of March 2019, and 14th of April 2019. The teacher was given a R20 000 fine, a final written warning and mandatory behavioural counselling sessions.
(2) No. The learner’s mother laid charges against the teacher with SAPS.
(3) No. A disciplinary hearing took place and a sanction was awarded. There was no reason to interdict the teacher. The teacher has been punished. She was not an immediate threat to the learners. This was made evident when learners of the school held a peaceful protest in support of the educator the following day after the incident occurred. Learners came out in defence of the teacher given the history of the learner’s past actions and behaviour. While we cannot condone the actions of the teacher, it also needs to be considered what transpired before and during the event.
(4) The matter was reported to SACE.
(a) As SACE is an independent entity, details of their disciplinary charges would need to be obtained from them.
(b) 15 May 2019
(c) The SACE case number is 541/2018-WC.
