The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has given the Gauteng Department of Education 14 days to respond to the grievances of pupils at Pretoria Girls High School or face trial examinations being disrupted.
This comes as Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was meeting with management at the school where black pupils have spoken out against apparent racial practices.
“A school in 2016 must reflect on issues of Africanism... how we speak amongst ourselves as learners. White and black students must see each other as brothers and sisters and not as fighting opponents. We will not allow them to be used and reduced to modern slavery that seeks to undermine and undress the dignity of a black child‚” said COSAS Gauteng Provincial Secretary Benedict Phalane.
He was speaking at a meeting where Lesufi‚ parents‚ management as well as the girls were raising their dissatisfaction about treatment at the school.
“Putting the school under administration will also give a way forward on how we are going to deal with these issues. Speaking as a voice for the learners we are saying that if action does not happen in 14 days‚ we will take to the streets and exams will be disrupted and we are not going to compromise on that‚” said Phalane.
Lesufi responded: “I told you I have four non-negotiable rules (the meetings rules that everyone must adhere to) and when you talk about disrupting exams‚ you are creating an environment that I’m not going to be part of.”
The schoolgirls claim that they have been subjected to racism and that their blackness has been discouraged. They added that the school rules forbid African hairstyles such as Afros‚ Bantu knots‚ dreadlocks and braids.
Earlier in the afternoon‚ members of SASCO‚ COSAS‚ the ANCYL‚ EFFSC and DASO protested outside the school gates in solidarity with the pupils.
Lesufi is said to be meeting the school’s governing body on Monday evening.
Both provincial and national education officials are attending the meeting in the school’s hall.
Watch: Learners break down describing school hair discrimination
COSAS gives Gauteng Education Department ultimatum on Pretoria Girls High saga
The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has given the Gauteng Department of Education 14 days to respond to the grievances of pupils at Pretoria Girls High School or face trial examinations being disrupted.
This comes as Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was meeting with management at the school where black pupils have spoken out against apparent racial practices.
“A school in 2016 must reflect on issues of Africanism... how we speak amongst ourselves as learners. White and black students must see each other as brothers and sisters and not as fighting opponents. We will not allow them to be used and reduced to modern slavery that seeks to undermine and undress the dignity of a black child‚” said COSAS Gauteng Provincial Secretary Benedict Phalane.
He was speaking at a meeting where Lesufi‚ parents‚ management as well as the girls were raising their dissatisfaction about treatment at the school.
“Putting the school under administration will also give a way forward on how we are going to deal with these issues. Speaking as a voice for the learners we are saying that if action does not happen in 14 days‚ we will take to the streets and exams will be disrupted and we are not going to compromise on that‚” said Phalane.
Lesufi responded: “I told you I have four non-negotiable rules (the meetings rules that everyone must adhere to) and when you talk about disrupting exams‚ you are creating an environment that I’m not going to be part of.”
The schoolgirls claim that they have been subjected to racism and that their blackness has been discouraged. They added that the school rules forbid African hairstyles such as Afros‚ Bantu knots‚ dreadlocks and braids.
Earlier in the afternoon‚ members of SASCO‚ COSAS‚ the ANCYL‚ EFFSC and DASO protested outside the school gates in solidarity with the pupils.
Lesufi is said to be meeting the school’s governing body on Monday evening.
Both provincial and national education officials are attending the meeting in the school’s hall.
Watch: Learners break down describing school hair discrimination
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