The South African Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into the living conditions of pupils at the Northwest School for the Deaf following the tragic death of three pupils.
The commission said it had learned with shock of the deaths of the three girls in a fire in their hostel at the school in Leeudoringstad near the Vaal River in the early hours of last Monday.
“It is the Commission’s suspicion that the fire warning systems at the school may have been dysfunctional‚” the commission said in a statement on Monday.
“As part of the investigation‚ which started on Wednesday‚ the Commission would try and establish the level of safety of the children at the school. We have also requested the SA Police Services to conduct their own investigation of the deaths‚ and to furnish the Commission with their report by the 24th September 2015.
“We call on the North West Department of Education and other government departments involved to ensure the learners are placed in an alternative accommodation or school. And to provide necessary support to the learners‚ and parents‚” the commission added.
It said it remained concerned that the safety of learners living with disabilities was not being taken serious by the schools they attended.
“As the Commission we have received similar concerns from learners and parents of learners at the schools across the country‚ notably in Limpopo where children went on a strike last year demanding‚ among others‚ safe living conditions in their hostels.
“Same concerns in North West were reported during the indaba hosted by SAHRC Commissioner Adv. Bokankatla Malatji in July 2013 in Rustenburg‚ and again highlighted at a meeting of Deaf kidz International in October 2014 which sought to deal with challenges faced by deaf children in the country. The office of Commissioner Malatji has the mandate to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
“The Commission believes that there is more that needs to be done in guaranteeing that children with disabilities are provided‚ not only with quality education that is their basic right‚ but also safety while in schools.
“The Commission would like to express its sincere condolences to the school‚ the learners and the families of the deceased‚ and hope that government will do more to ensure that tragedy of this kind is not repeated‚” the commission added.
SAHRC launches probe into deaths of three deaf children
The South African Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into the living conditions of pupils at the Northwest School for the Deaf following the tragic death of three pupils.
The commission said it had learned with shock of the deaths of the three girls in a fire in their hostel at the school in Leeudoringstad near the Vaal River in the early hours of last Monday.
“It is the Commission’s suspicion that the fire warning systems at the school may have been dysfunctional‚” the commission said in a statement on Monday.
“As part of the investigation‚ which started on Wednesday‚ the Commission would try and establish the level of safety of the children at the school. We have also requested the SA Police Services to conduct their own investigation of the deaths‚ and to furnish the Commission with their report by the 24th September 2015.
“We call on the North West Department of Education and other government departments involved to ensure the learners are placed in an alternative accommodation or school. And to provide necessary support to the learners‚ and parents‚” the commission added.
It said it remained concerned that the safety of learners living with disabilities was not being taken serious by the schools they attended.
“As the Commission we have received similar concerns from learners and parents of learners at the schools across the country‚ notably in Limpopo where children went on a strike last year demanding‚ among others‚ safe living conditions in their hostels.
“Same concerns in North West were reported during the indaba hosted by SAHRC Commissioner Adv. Bokankatla Malatji in July 2013 in Rustenburg‚ and again highlighted at a meeting of Deaf kidz International in October 2014 which sought to deal with challenges faced by deaf children in the country. The office of Commissioner Malatji has the mandate to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
“The Commission believes that there is more that needs to be done in guaranteeing that children with disabilities are provided‚ not only with quality education that is their basic right‚ but also safety while in schools.
“The Commission would like to express its sincere condolences to the school‚ the learners and the families of the deceased‚ and hope that government will do more to ensure that tragedy of this kind is not repeated‚” the commission added.
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