Cape Town - Concerned parents are pleading with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to follow up on cases of gender-based violence, bullying, and placement of special needs children at Western Cape schools.
This was raised after the WCED briefed the Standing Committee on Education on the state of readiness for the 2023 academic year, at the Legislature, on Friday.
An emotional mother pleaded for help after her daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by another pupil in a higher grade at Norman Henshilwood High School last year. The name of the mother and grade of the pupil have been withheld to protect the pupil.
The incident allegedly occurred at a school function. It was later reported to the school and a meeting held with the alleged perpetrating student and his parents.
“I picked her up, she was very disoriented but I didn’t know what was wrong with her. The next week she spoke to the counsellor at the school and she brought the matter forward. They did not fill in a form 22, they did no disciplinary, and they never really contacted me after that,” the mother said.
The counsellor advised that trauma counselling was needed. This was not made accessible through the school. The child is receiving weekly counselling at a Thuthuzela Care Centre.
The mother said there were parts of the night her daughter could not remember, and that it was possible that the drink offered to her daughter by the boy was spiked.
“Apparently he was drunk and he couldn’t keep himself up, so he put his arm around her and she did not like it, and he told her that he wanted to rape her,” she said.
The mother later removed her child from the school.
“She has been having panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I have seen her bedridden, I have seen her almost on her last, and because of that she missed a lot of school.”
The woman said she wanted her daughter to return to the school and the perpetrator removed. She contacted the principal last year with the request but was told there was no space available.
She said she had reached out to the Department of Social Development, WCED and police.
“It's not the first time he’s done this. There’s other girls he has done it to as well, and the school is well known for covering things up. They didn’t want to view any footage at all. His mother is on the PTA, so I need assistance urgently. I've been crying out for help for a very long time but I’m not being heard.”
Malihambe Women Outreach founder and parent Nosipho Daniels urged the department to take a stronger stance against bullying and gender-based violence, and to place social workers at schools in black communities.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said all allegations of assault were investigated, as per protocol.