Matric learner suspended for racial remarks

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A Pretoria High School for Girls matric learner has been suspended for racial remarks, the department of education in Gauteng confirmed.

This comes after the learner was seen making statements with racial undertones in a video that has since gone viral on social media.

According to the departmental spokesperson Steve Mabona, the learner was recorded in a video in February 2024, making statements suspected to have racial undertones.

“This video has recently gone viral on social media, prompting serious concerns. The School Governing Body (SGB) suspended the learner today, and it will subsequently initiate a formal disciplinary process in due course,” he stated.

WATCH: MEC @matomekopano visited Pretoria High School for Girls today where he engaged with the SMT and SGB, and further confirmed the precautionary suspension of the school’s principal for 90 days pending an investigation. pic.twitter.com/GjEbVyK4Sk

— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) July 30, 2024

Mabona highlighted that the Gauteng department of education is firmly committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all learners.

He added; “We take incidents of this nature very seriously and will ensure that appropriate actions are taken to address and resolve the situation.”

Meanwhile, the school principal Phillipa Erasmus has also been placed on precautionary suspension for three months following allegations of racism whilst twelve pupils, eight of whom are prefects, are also suspended.

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During his visit at the school premises on Tuesday, MEC Matome Chiloane said during the suspension, Erasmus has been barred from communicating with learners, parents and educators.

“We have appointed the deputy principal to come and act in the interim,” he said.

SA Human Rights Commission has criticized the alleged racism at Pretoria High School for Girls and said it is closely monitoring these incidences and developments with the view to intervening.

“It is disturbing that these incidences continue to occur 30 years into democracy. It is more distressing to see that three of these incidents are alleged to have taken place in schools.

“The Commission is allowing the investigative process to be undertaken by the GDE and will monitor the process and the outcome with the view to making an intervention,” the commission’s Zamantungwa Mbeki remarked.