Bullying: Teacher probed for alleged failure to act

The Gauteng department of education says it has launched an investigation into the manner in which an alleged bullying incident was handled by a teacher at Sutherland high school.

This comes after a mother took to social media on how her grade 10 daughter was being bullied by another pupil in the same grade.

She also said the matter was now a legal case because she received calls from the mother of the alleged bully threatening her to drop the issue.

Education MEC Matome Chiloane said the school will initiate a disciplinary hearing. 

“Bullying has no place in our schools. We strongly discourage any form of bullying within our learning environments and urge all learners to report such incidents to school management so that necessary action can be taken promptly. Schools must be safe spaces where learners feel protected and supported at all times,” said Chiloane.

“According to information at our disposal, the mother of the grade 10 girl learner who was allegedly bullied visited the school on Wednesday, 5 February 2025, to report that her child was being bullied by a Grade 10 boy learner, seeking to address the matter. However, the school explained that, as per due process, a preliminary investigation must be conducted to verify the allegations before any disciplinary action.

"A meeting involving the parents of the victim, school management, and district officials was held today, Following this meeting, we can confirm that the school will initiate a disciplinary hearing, subject to the availability of both parents to participate in the process.” .

Chiloane said they deployed counsellors to the school to offer support to both pupils and their parents in an effort to assist in managing the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.

The department said it would  provide curriculum support to the victim and that they will continue to monitor the matter closely.

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