GDE welcomes apology from independent school over the use of cartoon depicting the President

24 May 2016

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has investigated the use of a cartoon by Zapiro, depicting the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma in a Grade 6 English Visual Literacy Test at an Independent school in the Province.

The matter was brought to the attention of the Gauteng MEC for Education Mr Panyaza Lesufi by a concerned parent. The MEC immediately requested the Department’s Independent Schools Directorate and Assessment Directorate to urgently investigate the test that was administered to learners.

The officials went to the school yesterday and interviewed the Principal, Head of Department and the Grade 6 English Teacher as part of the preliminary investigation.

Part of what the officials were able to establish was that the school is a fully Independent School, which writes the Independent Examining Board Matriculation and that the school follows the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).

CAPS gives expression to the knowledge, skills and values worth learning in South African schools. This Curriculum aims to ensure that children acquire and apply knowledge and skills in ways that are meaningful to their own lives. In this regards, the curriculum promotes knowledge in local contexts, while being sensitive to global imperatives.

The question regarding whether learners could vote for the individual depicted in the cartoon could be viewed as being sensitive to CAPS requirements, however does not influence the thinking of the learner. It is noted that the visual text used, was based on the size and clarity for the learners as this is precisely an English Visual Literacy Test.

Given that the matter had largely been viewed as insensitive, offensive and distasteful by the public, the school principal has apologised sincerely for any hurt or distress caused by the use of the cartoon in the English Visual Literacy test. The principal has assured the Department that there was no malice intended and that the school will refrain from using any cartoons that have a potential of causing any form of distress or confusion.

The Department therefore welcomes the apology from the school and accepts the decision of the school to refrain from using such cartoons in future. 

We would like to urge all schools to be sensitive to issues of diversity such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, disability and other factors when implementing CAPS.

The department will engage the parents on the outcome of the investigation.

Statement issued by Gauteng Department of Education’s Acting Head of Communication Oupa Bodibe, Gauteng Provincial Government, 24 May 2016

***