A high school educator told the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) not to allow Eldorado Park to turn into a mini Orania.
Lorrain Moremi‚ who teaches at Eldomaine Secondary School‚ was submitting her oral testimony at the SAHRC investigative hearing on Wednesday.
Held at Eldorado Park Extension 2‚ the hearing aims to address reported allegations of inequality in the area and continuing school disruptions at Klipspruit West High School.
Moremi said racism is prevalent in school management structures in Eldorado Park and many black educators have been victimised due to their skin colour.
She said schools in the area predominantly have coloured educators and the school governing body structures are also largely coloured.
“The learners are excellent. We can learn a thing from them. They can sit with each other without looking at each other as either black or coloured. The parents are also wonderful. It’s just the schools and the management at schools that have a problem‚” said Moremi who has taught at Eldomaine for five years.
“South Africa belongs to all. Are we turning Eldorado Park into a mini Orania? Is Eldorado Park exclusively for coloureds? If that’s the case the Department of Education needs to remove black teachers. I believe I am being subjected to racism. I believe I am not recognised as a black person. I am being taken back to the days of apartheid‚” she said‚ much to the disapproval of a large portion of the audience that attended the session.
Shirley Matthews‚ who was a member of the Klipspruit West Primary School governing body that was recently dissolved by Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi‚ rejected Moremi’s claim‚ saying government is the one that has brought the race card in the area.
Matthews said parents don’t have a problem with the appointment of a black principal and black teachers at Klipspruit West High‚ but their main concern is that due processes must be followed and qualified people must be appointed.
“Racist was a never a word that we knew in Klipspruit until the MEC (Panyaza) said we are racist. That word was never mentioned in Klipspruit‚” said Matthews.
Matthews told the hearing that five black teachers are responsible for the poor state of affairs at Klipspruit West. The accused allegedly bank classes‚ use racial terms when addressing pupils and their conduct is not in line with the teachers' code.
“The system is corrupt‚ that is why these teachers are not doing what they are employed to do. We have raised these issues with government for years but nobody wants to give us an ear. We are not a racist community. We are against corruption. We want a qualified person to be appointed as principal‚ regardless of their race‚” said Jacky Mthombeni of Patriotic For Equality during her submission.
According to Mthombeni‚ class overcrowding and bad infrastructure are some of the issues affecting teaching and learning at Klipspruit West. She said 751 Klipspruit West pupils have dropped out of school this year.
The session is underway and it’s open to all members of public.
SAHRC spokesperson Gail Smith said they will submit their findings to Parliament and collected information will also be made public at a later stage.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
Is Eldorado Park a mini Orania‚ SAHRC asked
Lorrain Moremi‚ who teaches at Eldomaine Secondary School‚ was submitting her oral testimony at the SAHRC investigative hearing on Wednesday.
Held at Eldorado Park Extension 2‚ the hearing aims to address reported allegations of inequality in the area and continuing school disruptions at Klipspruit West High School.
Moremi said racism is prevalent in school management structures in Eldorado Park and many black educators have been victimised due to their skin colour.
She said schools in the area predominantly have coloured educators and the school governing body structures are also largely coloured.
“The learners are excellent. We can learn a thing from them. They can sit with each other without looking at each other as either black or coloured. The parents are also wonderful. It’s just the schools and the management at schools that have a problem‚” said Moremi who has taught at Eldomaine for five years.
“South Africa belongs to all. Are we turning Eldorado Park into a mini Orania? Is Eldorado Park exclusively for coloureds? If that’s the case the Department of Education needs to remove black teachers. I believe I am being subjected to racism. I believe I am not recognised as a black person. I am being taken back to the days of apartheid‚” she said‚ much to the disapproval of a large portion of the audience that attended the session.
Shirley Matthews‚ who was a member of the Klipspruit West Primary School governing body that was recently dissolved by Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi‚ rejected Moremi’s claim‚ saying government is the one that has brought the race card in the area.
Matthews said parents don’t have a problem with the appointment of a black principal and black teachers at Klipspruit West High‚ but their main concern is that due processes must be followed and qualified people must be appointed.
“Racist was a never a word that we knew in Klipspruit until the MEC (Panyaza) said we are racist. That word was never mentioned in Klipspruit‚” said Matthews.
Matthews told the hearing that five black teachers are responsible for the poor state of affairs at Klipspruit West. The accused allegedly bank classes‚ use racial terms when addressing pupils and their conduct is not in line with the teachers' code.
“The system is corrupt‚ that is why these teachers are not doing what they are employed to do. We have raised these issues with government for years but nobody wants to give us an ear. We are not a racist community. We are against corruption. We want a qualified person to be appointed as principal‚ regardless of their race‚” said Jacky Mthombeni of Patriotic For Equality during her submission.
According to Mthombeni‚ class overcrowding and bad infrastructure are some of the issues affecting teaching and learning at Klipspruit West. She said 751 Klipspruit West pupils have dropped out of school this year.
The session is underway and it’s open to all members of public.
SAHRC spokesperson Gail Smith said they will submit their findings to Parliament and collected information will also be made public at a later stage.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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