The acting principal of Grosvenor Girls' High School has been suspended by the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Department said it took the decision in line with the recommendations made by an independent panel that uncovered racism and financial mismanagement at the Bluff school.
“We are implementing the recommendations of the Independent Panel fully. We hope the findings and the recommendations thereof will become our point of reference for our education system,” the department stated.
The probe was launched after pupils at Grosvenor Girls High School staged a protest outside the school against alleged racism in February this year.
In March, the Department of Education appointed an independent panel to investigate allegations of racism at the school.
The panel received evidence from former and current pupils, members of the teaching staff, general school workers, School Governing Body members and parents.
Following the release of the report, KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said the department would implement the recommendations of the panel.
“We will be laying a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against the principal and the deputy principal after receiving the report.
“Further to that, we will be asking the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Sihle Zikalala, to establish an inquiry to allow for schools in KwaZulu-Natal where there are allegations of racism to come forward and tell their stories.”
Other recommendations included the review of all appointments made by the principal as well as the contracts she signed with the affected employees and the immediate termination of all employees who are found to have been employed without meeting basic requirements and any other specific requirements for the post.
“We are satisfied that the panel covered all necessary ground and allowed all interested parties to tender evidence before arriving at its findings and recommendations,” Mshengu said.
He said the panel received historical accounts of disruptions within the school during the period 2017 to 2022. These accounts included allegations of racial prejudice, discrimination, dehumanisation, and financial irregularities.
The probe found that racism at Grosvenor Girls High School is “systematic, structural and that white authority dominated all facets of the school”.
“It also found that racism is normalised and that it is second nature at this school, that black people who are learners and employees at the school suffer in an atmosphere of being suppressed, oppressed and of being voiceless.”
Schools returned for the third term on Tuesday. While the KZN Education Department said the new school term started without a hitch in most of the province, there were some disruptions due to service delivery protests in the Uthukela and Zululand districts.
Mshengu appealed to communities to leave schools out of their service delivery demonstrations.
Spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said some classrooms were targeted.
"We are satisfied in terms of how the schools have opened. We are now entering into the third term of the academic year of 2022. There hasn't been a lot of glitches, and our system will continue to monitor all districts across the province. We wish to also call upon parents to continue to support the learners as we now entering the third term,“ Mthethwa said.
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