Call for heads to roll over Daveyton school drowning

Education activist, Hendrick Makaneta, says heads must roll after a probe found that the principal of Daveyton Skills School be held liable for the death of two learners, Siphamandla Peterson and Sibusiso Sibiya, who drowned while on a discipline camp in April.

Seanego Attorneys released its findings on the matter a little earlier.

The camp was facilitated by a Non-Profit Organisation, Rising Stars Generation, at the Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion.

Makaneta says all school trips must be sanctioned by the Department of Basic Education and not the schools.

He has called on the government to strengthen its support to schools and teachers amid concerns over deaths of learners during school trips and within the premises of educational institutions.

This was the second incident this year after 12-year-old Latoya Temilton from Pretoria died at a leadership camp earlier this year.

Project leader of the probe, an attorney at Seanego Attorneys, brief the media on the findings.

Thembekile Graham revealed that one of the camp facilitators almost drowned while trying to save the two boys.

Graham described the principal’s conduct in the matter as extremely concerning.

“She did not obtain the requisite approval from the department for the trip. As a result, various safety measures were not adhered to, and the department did not have the opportunity to rectify the lack of security measures.”

The principal also failed, among others, to comply with the requisite educator-learner ratio in terms of the tour regulations, sending only a social worker supervise the children.

The social worker was apparently in the restroom when the learners lost their lives.

Parents were also not informed about the risks associated with the activities that the pupils were to undertake.

Graham says a relevant court of law should determine whether or not the department should be held liable, considering all the facts and circumstances of the matter.

This is despite the Constitution specifying that the State is liable for any damage or loss caused due to any act or omission in connection with any educational activity conducted by a public school.