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AfriForum considers the announcement by the Gauteng Department of Education that it will launch an independent investigation at Pretoria High School for Girls to determine whether “a culture of racism” prevails at the school, as a conspicuous attempt to undermine the authority of the school’s governing body.

The school, staff and learners have been under fire lately after allegations of racism have surfaced there. Learners who had been accused, had been found not guilty during a disciplinary hearing, after which Gauteng’s MEC of Education, Matome Chiloane, announced this investigation.

According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, these events have illustrated once more that some education authorities have an agenda against school governing bodies. “While the BELA Bill is still on the President’s desk, incidents like this one at the school in Pretoria are inflated to create the impression that democratically elected school governing bodies are enemies of quality education and the rights of learners,” she says. 

“What makes it even worse is that the events take place at a time when matriculants are preparing for exams and are already exposed to extreme pressure.”

AfriForum condemns any political interference in schools and attempts to discredit legitimate actions by governing bodies. “Apart from this incident, we are increasingly hearing about governing bodies being pressured by provincial education authorities to change Afrikaans schools’ language policies. Furthermore, the authorities do not build sufficient schools, as a result of which governing bodies are unfairly blamed by parents when children do not get a place in schools. Departments also take a long time to investigate complaints submitted by governing bodies,” she says.

“"Instead of treating these community representatives like valued partners, they are often made into scapegoats for the education departments’ failures. With the drafting of the BELA Bill, this hostility had already become evident, and incidents like the one at the girls’ school only serve to reveal the agenda more clearly. The abuse of learners as political pawns in the authorities’ endeavours to gain more power and control is unacceptable,” Bailey emphasises.

Issued by AfriForum