Cape Town - A Table View High School substitute teacher accused of using a racial slur during a lesson has sparked outrage as she continues to teach while an investigation into the matter is under way.
The incident reportedly took place on July 17, when the white substitute history teacher used the K-word during a lesson with Grade 12 pupils.
One parent, Loyiso Mfubesi, said the teacher used the racial slur in front of the entire class during a lesson.
“The reason why I got involved was when my daughter came home and she was not okay. She was not happy with what transpired and then I decided to take it up with the school,” Mfubesi said.
“She [the teacher] was clear that the K-thing was not an issue for her and shouldn’t be an issue for the kids because ‘they were not there when it happened’.
“And she stood by her belief on it and even though they asked her to stop and apologise, she still said she would not apologise.”
Following the incident, the pupils reported the matter to the school management.
Mfubesi, however, has criticised the way the school has dealt with the incident, more notably by allowing the teacher to continue with her duties while a probe was under way.
“It’s not about me and this is not about my child. It’s about all black children in that school and if we allow such things to happen, it’s going to happen forever.
“Because there are no consequences. The fact that the school allows the teacher back in the classroom says to me that they don’t have due care for black children who were insulted by the same teacher.”
School Governing Body chairperson Clinton Rust said the matter is currently being investigated by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and department of labour.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department was aware of the incident and that the racist word was used as a part of a history lesson on Black Consciousness.
She said the school acted immediately and submitted a report to the department. This included statements from the pupils.
“The school is monitoring the classroom practice of the teacher and has apologised to the learners for the hurt they have experienced. If any learner requires counselling, they can be assisted,” Hammond said.
She said the incident is being investigated by the department’s labour relations directorate and a visit to the school is scheduled for next week.
“Based on the findings of that investigation, a decision will be made regarding a disciplinary hearing,” she said.
Mbulelo Dwane, EFF provincial co-ordinator of the labour desk, said the party lodged a human rights violation complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Cape Town on Wednesday.
“You can’t tell me in 2024, there are still so-called professionals who still [use the K-word]. What must be done to tell them and to show them that racism has no place in our country? What else must be done to show them that racism is violence?” Dwane said.
The SAHRC was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of going to print.
In 2020, the school made headlines after a fake social media account on TikTok under the school’s name had used the K-word, prompting a police investigation into the matter.
At the time, the WCED said the TikTok account was linked to a 15-year-old pupil whose personal account was believed to have been hacked.