By Buziwe Nocuze
A desperate nine-year-old learner from the Western Cape wants to quit school because she faces constant bullying.
Her mother, who cried when talking about her daughter being bullied by a learner much older than her, wants teachers at the Gelukshoop Primary School in Bonnievale to take bullying seriously.
Her daughter, who is in Grade 2, is tired of being bullied, allegedly by a 14-year-old learner.
“When the bullying started, my daughter didn’t say anything to me until I noticed some changes in her. When she had to go to school, she dragged her feet,” said the mother.
“Even if she was being bullied by someone her age, I would still get worried because no one has the right to bully other people. They are at school to get an education, not to make other learners’ lives miserable.”
The mother said she has been to the school many times to report the bullying and the class teacher allegedly promised to fix the problem.
“I went to the school at the beginning of February and after a few days, the class teacher informed me that she had spoken to the learners and that no bullying would ever take place again,” she said.
However, the mom was surprised when her daughter came back to report that she was quitting school because the bullying had escalated.
“They are now calling my daughter an ugly witch, and the learner has recruited other learners to do more damage to my daughter,” said the mother.
“I want the Department of Education to intervene. I don’t want my daughter to quit school, but at the same time I don’t want her to get bullied.”
She said she believed the school was not taking bullying seriously.
“If they were serious, they would have sorted the problem out,” said the mother.
“I am pleading with the department to intervene. I am sure more learners are in the same situation as my daughter.”
Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Millicent Merton said no incidents of bullying involving the two learners have been reported to the school.
“The mother of one of the learners mentioned to the teacher that there was strife between the two families which is not school-related,” said Merton.
Scrolla.Africa sent the spokesperson the communication between the teacher and the victim’s mother, showing that the mother had reported the matter at the school.
Merton’s reply was: “The teacher asked the learners about the allegations but they denied that any bullying took place. The teacher met with the mother and explained that the school could not get involved in personal issues between the concerned families.”
The website Law for All in an article titled “How to take a stand against being bullied at school” reports that “sadly, according to recent findings, more than 58% of South African school-goers have experienced some form of bullying, and some stories end in tragedy …”
The Department of Basic Education has a section on bullying on its website that contains advice for both parents and schools. It says that among the strategies to counter the problem, anti-bullying laws as part of the Code of Conduct for learners need to be enforced.
Pictured above: Gelukshoop Primary School.
Image source: Gelukshoop Primary School
