Sans Souci disciplinary hearing: Pupil's suspension upheld
15 February 2019
The suspension of the Sans Souci Girls' High School pupil, who was slapped by a teacher in a video that went viral, was upheld at her disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
The pupil's mother, in clear distress, addressed a crowd that gathered outside: "They (Sans Souci) never cared about my daughter. They never consulted her. They don't care. The suspension of my daughter continues."
She said the principal called her aside before the hearing and "advised" her to take her daughter to another school.
The pupil was suspended after a video of the slapping incident circulated on social media.
In it, the pupil can be seen shoving the teacher, who retaliates by slapping the teenager across the face.
On Thursday night, the pupil's mother said she did not want to speak to the media because she was "very emotional" because "my daughter was not given a fair chance".
"The Constitution provides that every child has a right to education, but this school is depriving my child of an education," she said.
The pupil faces numerous charges, including intimidation by verbal and physical threat intended to harm a person; ignoring or failing to carry out specific instructions; actions which bring the school's name into disrepute; violating the rights of other learners to receive education by disrupting classes, preventing teachers from teaching; and violating the rights of the teacher to carry out their task to the detriment of the school, staff, teacher and fellow learners.
Earlier, Chamber of Legal Students representatives - the student's legal team - told News24 that they took on the case because they felt the school treated the pupil unfairly from the onset.
Kwanda Mkalipi, co-founder and director of the legal group, said the teacher had no business getting into an altercation with a pupil.
"There are procedures in place to deal with situations like that. To just suspend the pupil without giving her an opportunity to give her side of the story is unfair.
"The pupil was meant to be writing a test today yet, because of her suspension she has been without learning material."
Outside the school premises, a small group of supporters, mainly dressed in EFF regalia, defended the pupil and held placards which read: "No to child abuse." They danced and sang as proceedings took place inside.
