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By Alicia Mmashakana
Chaos ensued as parents embarked on protest action at the Verulam Secondary in Durban after videos surfaced on social media showing a girl learner assaulting another at the school.
The angry parents are calling for the expulsion of the learner who was shown beating up the hapless girl on the video.
Provincial Education Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said authorities were deeply disturbed by the video and urged learners, parents and educators to report any incidents of bullying or violence to school authorities without delay.
“We are deeply disturbed by the video that is circulating on social media depicting a learner from Verulam Secondary School bullying and assaulting another girl learner. We are investigating the matter through the circuit manager, we are definitely going to take disciplinary actions,” Mahlambi said.
The head of the department Nkosinathi Ngcobo called on all stakeholders to work together to create a safe and nurturing environment where all learners can thrive.
Reports show that every year, more than 3.2 million students in South Africa are bullied, leaving parents distraught.
Educators, principals, and members of the governing body are aware of the issues in their schools, but they are puzzled on how to address them, the report said.
According to statistics, students are responsible for 90% of all bullying in schools.
An important study found that the school environment, or at least students’ feelings about it, was linked to bullying behaviour.
INSIDE EDUCATION