Principal, educators to face charges for Laerskool Queenswood pupil’s death
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has received a report from an independent law firm on the death of 12-year-old Latoya Temilton from Laerskool Queenswood.
The Grade 7 pupil drowned during a school excursion at Wag ‘n Bietjie campsite in Olifantsfontein in January.
The findings of the probe conducted by Ntshupetsang Attorneys were made public at the school in Pretoria on Thursday.
Initially, the report was expected to be completed within seven days but was delayed due to Latoya's family's absence due to their loss, concerns from affected pupils’ parents, and the delayed receipt of the post-mortem report.
The firm’s Meshack Ntshupetsang said the probe found possible negligence on the part of the principal and educators.
“We found that the principal as well as the educators lacked the required knowledge of legislative and regulatory framework that exists on a one-day excursion when they planned this particular excursion and communicated the excursion during and even after the incident that happened on the 20th of January.”
Nchupetsang Attorneys also recommended that the principal and educators be charged with misconduct for providing dishonest and falsified information to the department and/ or its agent following their testimonies, which contradicted those of the learners.
It was found that the SGB at the school is non-functional and that the current SGB needs to be removed and disbanded.
Ntshupetsang said that on the day of the incident, there was very little supervision by the educators on site.
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