A South African school has been accused of racism after a viral video showed a teacher standing by while a white boy is strangled Black boy in class.
After the footage, the Department of Education launched an investigation and condemned all acts of ill-discipline, racism, criminality, violence and bullying in schools.
“This follows the harrowing video which is circulating on social media depicting three learners involved in a fistfight in front of the female teacher. It is alleged that during the brawl this teacher was biased towards the other learner,” said a statement from the department.
The department condemned all acts of ill-discipline, racism, criminality, violence and bullying in schools.
The district is providing psychosocial support to the three pupils involved in the fight.
The father of the Black pupil involved in the fight said there was a racial element to it.
He told City Press that he laid criminal charges and was in the process of suing the school for failing to prevent the assault on his son.
He opened a case of attempted murder at Jan Hofmeyer Police Station in Welkom.
He accused the teacher of only trying to stop the fight once his son fought back.
He said: “The footage shows that when he (his son) fought back, it was only then she intervened. Clearly, it’s racial. While he was attacked, she just stood there and watched.
“My son was strangled by a white boy, and she did nothing, but when my son got up to fight back, that’s when she got physically involved, but she just watched as my son was being assaulted,” the boy’s father added.
The school on Wednesday held a meeting with the parents of the pupils, during which the principal allegedly tried to convince them not to take the matter to the media and withdraw the case with the police.
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