Education MEC visits top Gauteng school over bullying
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has appealed to principals, educators and parents to take reports of bullying seriously.
Lesufi visited King Edwards VII School in Houghton, Johannesburg where he met with the principal and the district officials for a full briefing regarding the bullying video that circulated on social media over the weekend.
"Four boys had a fight after one of them allegedly posted a nude photo of a cousin of one of the perpetrators," says the department's Oupa Bodibe.
Lesufi condemned the behaviour of the learners and discouraged the culture of bullying at the school.
It has been recommended that the School Governing Body (SGB) convene a team to deal with the issue of disciplinary action against the alleged perpetrators and that the department institute an independent investigation into bullying at the school where parents, learners, educators and the SGB will be interviewed.
Other recommendations include that the department provide psychosocial support not only to victims but to all learners who might need that support.
"All the perpetrators remain suspended for seven days," says Bodibe.