Northriding teacher suspended for calling learner the k-word

The incident took place on Thursday.

 

According to a statement from the Gauteng Department of Education, initial investigations indicate that an altercation was over noise-making.

 

“It is alleged that the educator sprayed the learner with sanitizer. The learner left the classroom to report the matter to another teacher in the neighbouring class. It is alleged that the accused educator followed and started to engage violently with the learner, further spraying the learner with sanitizer all over his body and allegedly calling him a ‘kaff*r’. The violence stopped only after the intervention of the other teacher,” says departmental spokesperson Steve Mabona. 

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“Reports state that the same educator then had another altercation, in the next period, with other learners, where she started swearing at learners, allegedly calling them “baboons, drug dealers and k*ffirs”.

 

Mabona says the school governing body was informed of the incident and immediately suspended the educator pending the finalising of the disciplinary process. 

 

Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the suspension of the teacher, stating that racism will never be tolerated in the province’s schools. 

 

“Educators must always teach and guide learners; not fight them. We welcome the move by the school governing body to suspend the teacher with immediate effect while disciplinary processes are being finalised.”