Parents of learners at Wrenchville High School are accusing the provincial Department of Education of inaction in the face of ongoing victimization and bullying, which they say disproportionately targets Black learners. The allegations follow a violent incident two weeks ago where a Grade 9 learner was stabbed with a knife on school premises and required hospitalisation.
According to parents, the assailants were gang members from the community who entered the school grounds. The situation escalated further when several learners who allegedly tried to intervene in the incident were suspended. A total of 13 learners have been placed on precautionary suspension, with a disciplinary hearing scheduled for later this month.
Frustrated parents have described the suspensions as unfair and symptomatic of a deeper problem at the school.
“My child was suspended at the school last week. He even didn’t roll the exam. So I feel so bad because I don’t know the reason for suspension,” said one parent, who has called for media intervention to see the “school operating correctly.”
Another parent detailed the traumatic aftermath for her son, who was attacked the previous Monday. “He’s been like not sleeping well… because they beat him on the face, on the board and on the legs. So he’s been complaining about the pains [and] about how he’s scared to come to school.”
The most serious allegations involve claims of systemic racism. One parent stated, “I’m frustrated because I see everything that is happening in the school. There is a racism in the school. The principal and the teacher, also the HGB… They suspended only the blacks, the color. They don’t suspend the colors. That means that thing is a racism.”
Parents claim they have repeatedly raised concerns about gangs terrorizing learners at the school, but feel their complaints have gone unheeded.
In response to the incident, the Provincial Department of Education issued a statement expressing concern about the “latest gang-related incidents” at Wrenchville High School.
“The department remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance approach to violence in schools as such behavior directly infringes on the learner’s constitutional right,” the department’s spokesperson said. “It is imperative that all learners adhere to the school code of conduct. We further call on parents and guardians to play an active role in ensuring that their children attend school with a clear focus on learning, growth, and positive engagement.”
Despite this assurance, parents at Wrenchville High School are demanding concrete action to address the violence and the alleged racial bias they believe is plaguing the institution.
