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Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane addressed the learners at Lesedi Secondary School on Friday.
- Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane condemned a series of violent incidents at schools this week, including stabbings and bullying captured on video.
- Several pupils have been arrested or face disciplinary action following separate assaults in Boksburg, Reiger Park, and Pretoria
- In another case, four school employees were suspended after a Grade 5 pupil was accidentally injured by an axe in a Soshanguve school library.
Gauteng schools have been hit by a spate of violent incidents this week, prompting Education MEC Matome Chiloane to condemn the rising cases of school-based assaults, bullying, and viral videos depicting pupil brutality.
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In Boksburg, a Grade 9 pupil was stabbed by a group of eight boys who allegedly jumped over a fence and attacked him at Boksburg High School.
“They have since been arrested,” Chiloane confirmed. “The victim is receiving medical attention. We reiterate our zero-tolerance stance on school violence and urge communities to ensure our schools remain safe spaces for teaching and learning.”
At Oos-Rand Commerce & Entrepreneurship School of Specialisation in Reiger Park, disciplinary action is in progress after a disturbing video surfaced showing a group of girls assaulting another pupil on school grounds.
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“The implicated pupils have been identified, and disciplinary processes are currently under way,” said Chiloane. “Such behaviour is deplorable and undermines the values of respect and dignity we strive to instil in pupils.”
Another incident under investigation involves a viral video from Christian Progressive College in Pretoria, where a male pupil was seen physically assaulting and verbally abusing a female pupil earlier this week.
Chiloane said:
It is completely unacceptable that a child would be subjected to such physical and verbal abuse at school. Necessary action will be taken. Schools must be safe spaces for all learners.
Meanwhile, at Dimakatso Primary School in Soshanguve, four employees have been suspended after a Grade 5 pupil was injured when an axe accidentally struck him inside the school’s library.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, when the pupil was assisting two Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) staff members, an educator assistant, and a general assistant with moving workbooks from the library to a classroom.
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“While in the library, it is alleged that an axe accidentally fell and struck the pupil, injuring his hand,” Chiloane said.
The pupil remains hospitalised, and the department has launched an internal investigation into the incident.
