SADTU CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST TEACHERS
11 March 2018
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has noted with great concern a video clip on social media of a teacher being exposed to gross learner misbehaviour; the incident allegedly happened at Three Rivers Secondary School in Sedibeng. In the video clip, a learner is seen violently throwing a pile of books towards a teacher in class seemingly in reaction to whatever could have happened prior whilst other learners recorded the incident.
The helpless teacher is then seen leaving the classroom clearly fearing the possibility of more violence being committed against her. We commend the teacher for having acted in a very professional manner against extreme provocation by the learner.
SADTU strongly condemns any form of violence committed against teachers by learners or any other member of society whilst performing their duties. It is our strong view that irrespective of whatever the circumstances that might have led the learner to react in that manner, she had no right to threaten the teacher and expose her to that kind of violence. Being an educator must never be viewed as a dangerous profession if we are to reach our developmental goals as a country utilising education as the main tool.
The incident that has now gone viral on social media is just the tip of the iceberg and we are aware that more teachers are exposed to same if not worse. Just a few months ago, we spoke out strongly against an incident in which a teacher from the Northern Cape was brutally murdered by a learner who had accused the same teacher of deliberately failing him.