Boy (12) has 80 transgressions in reign of terror

Cape Town - A teacher at a Cape Town City Bowl school has laid a charge of common assault against a 12-year-old boy, who the governing body says is terrorising the school.

The charge was laid at the Cape Town Central police station on Thursday against the Grade 6 pupil, who has about 80 transgressions against him.

The school, which is not being named to protect the identity of the pupil, has also reported the matter to the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) Safe Schools directorate.

Police spokesman, Captain FC van Wyk, confirmed on Monday the matter was under investigation.

According to the governing body chairman, teachers and pupils are terrified of the boy, adding there were complaints about the boy almost every day, including that he hits teachers and pupils.

Following a disciplinary hearing last year, the governing body recommended the boy’s expulsion but the chairman said the department had turned it down due to “technicalities”.

“Since then there has been very little support or intervention from the department, while they know of all the cases against the boy. We were told that he would be referred for psychological evaluation and that someone would be sent to visit his house. In the meantime the boy continues to do what he wants. We are afraid of what will happen next. The department has failed in its duty to protect teachers and pupils.”

He said the school wanted decisive action taken.

Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schafer, said Thursday’s alleged incident was under investigation.

“Pupils at the school who witnessed the alleged incident have categorically said it was an accident over a pair of scissors. I am still awaiting a full report from our Safe Schools directorate in this regard.”

She said only the head of education could approve an expulsion.“Schools may not summarily expel a learner without following due process. The WCED has provided clear guidelines on correct procedure, and district officials will provide advice on these procedures as required. These guidelines are available on the WCED’s website.”

Shelver said the main reason why requests for expulsion normally didn’t succeed, was that governing bodies had not followed procedure correctly.

She denied the department had not done enough to intervene in the situation.

“With regards to the said learner, our officials are of the opinion that the learner would benefit from restorative justice. Counselling has been arranged and a social worker and psychologist have been assigned to the learner.”

Last week, the Daily News’ s sister paper, Cape Argus reported that 30 attacks on Western Cape teachers by pupils, parents and residents had been reported to the provincial education department this year, but that teacher unions believed the number of unreported cases could be much higher.

In 23 of the 29 cases reported between January and last month, pupils were the perpetrators including 14 assault cases, six of verbal abuse, two sexual abuse cases and one case involving a pupil threatening a teacher with a weapon.

Over the same period there were three cases where parents were accused of verbally abusing teachers, one case of a resident verbally abusing a teacher, and in two cases residents robbed teachers.

In the 30th incident, reported earlier this month, a Cloetesville teacher was beaten up and robbed in his classroom following a disagreement with a Grade 8 pupil.

Jonavon Rustin, provincial secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union, said the department as the employer had the responsibility to protect its employees.

Shelver said the department viewed cases of assault on teachers “in an extremely serious light” and would give such teachers its full support.