School bullies
Are we fighting a losing battle when it comes to bullying at schools, asks Terence Pillay.
The Department of Education has a zero tolerance on bullying but some schools just don’t seem to have a handle on the problem.
Last week, Aldane Chetty, a learner at the Wingen Heights Secondary School in Shallcross had to be admitted to the ICU of the Chatsmed Hospital after he was struck over his head with an iron bar by a group of school bullies.
Aldane, who is his class representative, cautioned a group of boys against being rude to a teacher. The boys waited for him to leave the classroom and attacked him on the school grounds, striking him over his head with an iron bar and kicking him while he was down.
Aldane painfully made his way into the staff room at the school where he collapsed and suffered two seizures. A teacher helped stabilise him while they waited for the paramedics. The young learner went into a coma and remained as such for five days. He received stitches to his injury and spent a further three days in the hospital before he was allowed to go home. He remains in pain and has to also receive psychological help for the trauma he suffered.
The incident was captured on CCTV and viewed by both Aldane’s parents and the bully’s family. Provincial police spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane, said police were investigating a case of attempted murder but no arrests had been made.
The bully in question, however, was allowed back to write his exams and the principal of the school told Aldane’s father, Alan, that it was his constitutional right to do so.
But a criminal charge was laid against the learner and, in my opinion, the bully should never have been allowed back to school. He also should have faced being held back a year because the violation was that serious. There needs to be a strong message sent out to others that this behaviour is unacceptable. The other children at the school also have a constitutional right to be safe at school.
I tried getting hold of the Department of Education’s Muzi Mahlambi for comment, but my messages remain unanswered.
Last week, Aldane Chetty, a learner at the Wingen Heights Secondary School in Shallcross had to be admitted to the ICU of the Chatsmed Hospital after he was struck over his head with an iron bar by a group of school bullies.
Aldane, who is his class representative, cautioned a group of boys against being rude to a teacher. The boys waited for him to leave the classroom and attacked him on the school grounds, striking him over his head with an iron bar and kicking him while he was down.
Aldane painfully made his way into the staff room at the school where he collapsed and suffered two seizures. A teacher helped stabilise him while they waited for the paramedics. The young learner went into a coma and remained as such for five days. He received stitches to his injury and spent a further three days in the hospital before he was allowed to go home. He remains in pain and has to also receive psychological help for the trauma he suffered.
The incident was captured on CCTV and viewed by both Aldane’s parents and the bully’s family. Provincial police spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane, said police were investigating a case of attempted murder but no arrests had been made.
The bully in question, however, was allowed back to write his exams and the principal of the school told Aldane’s father, Alan, that it was his constitutional right to do so.
But a criminal charge was laid against the learner and, in my opinion, the bully should never have been allowed back to school. He also should have faced being held back a year because the violation was that serious. There needs to be a strong message sent out to others that this behaviour is unacceptable. The other children at the school also have a constitutional right to be safe at school.
I tried getting hold of the Department of Education’s Muzi Mahlambi for comment, but my messages remain unanswered.
Image: Aldane Chetty in hospital after being attacked by a bully.
What do you think the punishment should have been? Should the bully have been let back into school after the incident?
You can email Terence Pillay at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter: @terencepillay1 and tweet him your thoughts.