GP Education slams school’s handling of racism scandal

The Gauteng Education Department has expressed disappointment after 12 learners accused of racism at Pretoria High School for Girls were cleared of misconduct charges.

They were also re-instated as prefects following disciplinary hearings conducted by a three-person panel of the school’s governing body (SGB).

SGB Ruling

The learners faced disciplinary action after their alleged involvement in a WhatsApp group, where white learners hurled racially inflammatory remarks about their black peers.

YNews has obtained some of the conversations, which were started by one of the girls who was upset over being confronted by one of their peers over how the school treats black and white learners.

Pupils at the school said the messages were sent in June last year. They reported the incident to the school’s principal, who allegedly sweeped the matter under the carpet.

Following calls for school principal, Phillipa Erasmus, to be held accountable – she was recently suspended for three months, pending the outcome of an investigation against her.

Gauteng Education spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says the department is disheartened by the school’s handling of the situation.

He’s criticised the school for its failure to issue an official report to the department on the outcomes of their disciplinary process, especially given the public interest in the matter.

“Our problem is that why would we not be given a report? Once we have an official report, we will pave a way forward but it’s quite disappointing how the school treated us,” Mabona said in a statement. Written by Naomi Kobbie