Twins in school racism row

06 September 2010, 00:09
She spoke isiXhosa to a girl who sits next to her in class. And for that, Grade 11 Roosevelt High School pupil Luthando Nxasana was allegedly thrown out of class, prevented from writing two mid-year exams or going to the toilet, and forced to spend three school days standing in a foyer.
During two months of clashes, the school also called the police to report her and her twin sister Lusanda. Police were told the pair were a danger to 800 other pupils and teachers of the Joburg school, who felt threatened by them.
Now their father Thami, who has given permission for his children’s names to be used, has decided to take Roosevelt High School to task. He has laid charges of racism and hate speech at the SA Human Rights Commission and charges of intimidation with the police. And he has asked Education MEC Barbara Creecy to intervene and deal with the matter.
Shawn Scannell, chairman of the Roosevelt High school governing body, said the school was concerned about distorted and inaccurate accounts of the problem.
The matters were being dealt with by the formal structures in the education system, he added.

Scannell said the correct disciplinary procedures had been adhered to by the school and that the two girls had a history of bad behaviour, stretching back to primary school. He also said the matter was sub judice.

“It is also regrettable that the father has not allowed for due process to run its course, but has now resorted to using the media, four months after the fact.”
Luthando alleges her problems started after she had a conversation with a friend.
“It was a free lesson. Everyone was chatting among themselves. Even the teacher was just chatting to some other learners,” said Luthando, who sits close to the desk of her business teacher, Mrs C Venter.
“Lebo sits next to me. She was worried about not completingher work. I told her to relax, she shouldn’t worry.”
But then the teacher heard the conversation.
“Mrs Venter said to me: ‘Luthando, either you speak English or you get the hell out of my class.’ I stopped and looked at her and decided to take my bag and walk out.”
As Luthando walked out, she confronted the teacher, telling her that the reprimand was racist.
Venter then allegedly said: “You’re digging a big hole for your small little body.”
Luthando was taken to the grade manager, Miss L van der Westhuizen, who told her she could not speak vernacular languages because pupils swore at the teachers in their own languages.
According to Van der Westhuizen, Venter had been insulted in a vernacular language once before. A pupil had called her a “fat f***ing bitch”.
“I told her it was my right to speak my language and I will speak it. She tried to make me feel sorry about speaking isiXhosa, but I wouldn’t,” explained Luthando.
Later, Luthando was called in and the code of conduct was readto her.
“But there was no reference to language usage. I said I don’t understand how me speaking isiXhosa is infringing the rules of the school.
“The teachers do play around in vernacular languages. Most have picked up isiZulu words. But nowI can’t speak my language.”
The incident did not, however, end there.
Luthando, who was in a car accident last year, has a fragile leg that is still healing. Despite this, she was forced to spend three days standing outside her grade manager’s office until she could deal with the matter.
There were several otherclashes between May 10 and July 26, including:
lLuthando being prevented from entering Venter’s class;
lThe school calling the police and alleging the two were breaking the rules of the school and insisting on their constitutional rights;
lBeing forced to write exams in isolation;
lBeing prevented from going to the toilet while in detention.
lBeing escorted around the school during break times by teachers and being prevented from writing their Afrikaans and maths exams;
Thami Nxasana said that all he wanted was an objective, formal mediation around the matter.
“The school has not been following the necessary processes. Previously, I had tried to ask fora formal disciplinary hearing, and they did not respond,” he said.
This, he claims, was done last year, shortly after Luthando returned to school following the accident and had been reprimanded for not doing an assignment while sick. He had asked for a formal hearing, but allegedly never got one.
“The school had not called mein on any of these occasions, soI wanted the department to sort it out. I did not want to deal with them directly.
“I do not want to be seen to be covering for the wrongdoing of the children. If they are wrong, let it be dealt with through the proper disciplinary process,” Nxasana added.
Education Department spokesman Charles Phahlane confirmed the matter was being investigated.
“As part of the intervention process, a meeting was scheduled between the school and the parent. However, the parent declined to attend this meeting and indicated that this matter had been reported to the Human Rights Commission.”
He said there had been a serious breakdown in the relationship between the parent and the school’s management.
The department has called on Childline to help resolve the matter.
Human Rights Commission spokesman Vincent Moaga confirmed that they were looking at allegations of racism and hate speech against the school. He said the school would be given an opportunity to respond.

teh Star

Comments by Sonny

Anarchy in the classrooms!

Or, just another hole in the system?

Almost similar to the ANCYL and SACP breakdown process!