HOW SA SCHOOLS FAIL BULLIED PUPILS

Horrifying Milnerton High School assault is not isolated, say activists

- NICOLA DANIELS

MILNERTON High School does not have a formal anti-bullying policy in place.

This is the finding the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education made following an oversight visit to the school on Friday. The visit follows the assault of a 16-year-old grade 10 pupil by several other boys, in a video that subsequently went viral online.

Six pupils were charged with assault in the Cape Town Magistrate's court on Thursday and released on R2 000 bail.

During Friday's meeting, the principal noted that there was an anti-bullying policy in place but when he was asked to produce it, committee chairperson Joy Maimela said he was unable to do so, “leading the committee to conclude that it does not exist”.

“The school’s code of conduct, which was provided by the principal, mentioned anti-bullying in a paragraph but with no tangible plan to address the problem,” Maimela said. The pupils, who are currently on cautionary suspension, are also expected to appear before a school disciplinary hearing.

Links between bullying and the culture within the school's first rugby team were to be investigated, the committee said. Maimela underscored the need for the school to urgently formulate an anti-bullying policy, accelerate disciplinary processes and move to eradicate practices that stifle change.