Soweto teacher lands self in serious trouble

A Soweto pupil had to receive medical attention after her teacher allegedly lashed her 92 times for exceeding the required word count in an essay.

As a result of the assault with a pipe, the teenage girl, who cannot be named to protect her dignity, suffered blisters and had blood clots on her left hand which had to be treated at a hospital.

Angry community members, including parents and unions, marched to Tetelo Secondary School in Protea North on Wednesday, demanding the removal of the teacher behind the assault.

They also accused the principal of protecting the teacher by allegedly trying to hide the incident. The protest was also to raise concerns about poor management and a lack of resources at the school.

The teenager has been so traumatised, that she refuses to return to school. The gauteng department of education (GDE) said it had dispatched officials to manage the situation at the school.

According to the family and the girl’s classmates, the grade 11 class was instructed to write a 150-word essay. However, she allegedly exceeded the word count, writing 308 words. The teacher allegedly responded by saying she would administer 158 lashes for failing to follow instructions.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said: “Our officials were dispatched to the school to reach an amicable solution and investigate all allegations. The outcome will determine the action to be taken.”

He said the department strongly condemned the disruption of schools and urged stakeholders to use available structures to raise concerns.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and intervene accordingly,” Mabona said.

A relative of the victim told Sowetan they found her left hand swollen, grey in colour and wrapped in a bandage on Friday last week.

“When I asked her what had happened, she told me the teacher had beaten her on both hands with a pipe,” the relative said.

The next morning, the family took her to a local clinic, where they were advised to take her to hospital, where doctors discovered blood clots in her hand, which had to be dissolved.

The family further alleges that classmates, who were counting the lashes, pleaded with the teacher to stop when they noticed her hand was severely swollen.

“Some boys in the class offered to take 10 lashes each to reduce the punishment. The teacher agreed and administered lashes to them as well,” said the relative.

The girl has remained home since the incident. “I received a call from the school asking me to come, but I did not realise the situation was this serious. I only fully understood the extent of the injuries later,” the family member said.

The family said the school principal informed them that the implicated teacher had since been chased away by members of the civil organisation, Each One Teach One Foundation, on Monday. However, a school employee told Sowetan that the teacher allegedly returned to school the next day, on Tuesday, and has continued working as normal.

Members of the foundation joined the march by the community on Wednesday. Parents carried placards reading “Away with Xiniwe,” referring to the principal, and chanted, “Away with corporal punishment”.

Meanwhile, Sadtu members stood at the school gate in support of the principal and the teacher. Speaking during the protest, foundation chair Phumlani Xulu condemned the incident.

“This is a critical stage in [the pupil’s] education. She now faces the risk of missing school because of trauma. We want the department to relocate her to a safer school where she will receive counselling and proper support,” said Xulu.

He added that corporal punishment appeared to be silently returning to schools.

“This is not discipline — this is a hate crime,” he said.

SGB chair Julia Moloi confirmed that the pupil was afraid to return to school. She said the SGB had expected the principal to suspend the teacher immediately.

“Our concern is that the child is missing school while the educator continues teaching. The learners in her class are also terrified,” Moloi said.

She confirmed that the punishment stemmed from exceeding the essay word limit. She also confirmed that some pupils volunteered to take lashes on behalf of the learner to reduce the number.