Parents are angry, and children are victims of another racist outburst. A public school in Carolina Mpumalanga is home to an average of 600 students of which 200 are white pupils. The school caters for grade 1 to grade 12 learners. The school has a majority of white teachers and approximately only four black teachers in the fold. This past week opened up another abuse claim against white children attending the school.
Carolina is a town situated in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Carolina is a mixed farming community, including coal and precious stone mining. The town has a township called Silobela housing mostly Swati speaking people.
It is imperative to have inspections for head lice on a regular basis, in order to combat spreading and keep hygiene a top priority. Head lice are more common in close overcrowded living conditions and are easily spread among school children. Usually when a child infected with head lice is identified, the child is sent home in an attempt to stop the spread of the parasites.
It is the manner in which certain children at the school were approached and scorned that angered the parents. This week, in front of the entire school, only white girls were called for inspection and had their heads exposed while teachers checked for lice. The children were given letters and told to stay away from school until the lice was cleared.
A teacher told the girls that it was only white children that have lice and when the victims asked why, the children observing the incident burst into fits of laughter, ranting that they have lice. During this inspection, no black children were subject to inspection. The children were chased away from the school in a scornful manner.
The scorned children left the school and upon returning home gave the letters to their parents, who were infuriated that they had been subject to ridicule. Parents checked their children for head lice, and it was discovered that none was infected.
The parents went to the school to complain against the discrimination and wrongful accusations against their children. When parents mentioned going to the media with the story, the teacher ignored their plea and walked away.
It is not the first incident where white children are mocked and scorned in front of the entire school. While it is illegal to beat children, yesterday, a young boy in Grade 7 was subject to a hiding from his teacher and had the bruises to prove the incident.
During a sporting event last year a white girl was nominated to receive the trophy based on her high scoring achievements, but the daughter, whose mother works in the office of the school received the trophy unfairly. When the grandparents complained, the headmaster admitted that is was a mistake and would rectify the matter. This never happened!
Examination time is not stressful for the children, as answers are often given to students in an attempt to ensure they obtain a pass rate. If the students do fail, they are given the opportunity to rewrite the examination until a successful pass rate is reached. The teachers present the chance for all pupils, both black and white to pass without imparting the importance of education. The basic instinct of gaining knowledge and aspiring to attain an acceptable education is a mockery and a trend leading toward laziness.
White children are often chased out of the classrooms, resulting in missed schooling with no time to catch up. White children from poorer families are ridiculed for no particular reason. A teacher admitted that they cannot harass black students, and only white children are the subject of scorn.
The rainbow nation of South Africa is dwindling away as education is no longer a pressing matter. The representation of teachers allowing pupils to pass without the required knowledge of any subject is a disgrace. The younger generation, the future of South Africa, the children who need the knowledge and wisdom to embrace a successful future are all failing as standards are lowered or even ignored.
A teacher in attendance at a school in Johannesburg North confirmed that the pass rate generated by the Education Department has been lowered to ensure no pupils fail any exams. Apparently, an average of thirty percent is considered to qualify the success of students passing their examinations. The lowering of education standards for South African learners keeps their minds ignorant of wisdom.
By Laura Oneale
photo credit: www.audio-luci-store.it via photopin cc
South Africa Today – South Africa News
