El Shaddai Christian School in Durbanville is awaiting a report on accusations that a teacher at the school “verbally abused and ill-treated” a Grade 12 learner.
This came after calls by the EFF Western Cape for the immediate suspension of the teacher.
The teacher’s alleged verbal abuse and ill-treatment led to the learner being “completely shattered … and the learner being admitted to a phychiatric hospital”, according to a letter by the EFF Western Cape.
The EFF furthermore accuses the principal of the school, Siebert Myburgh, that the verbal abuse was brought to his attention in 2021 and he promised to investigate the matter, but did nothing about it.
The EFF demanded a full independent investigation and the immediate suspension of the teacher, pending the outcome of the investigation, and that the principal be reprimanded for failing to investigate the matter when it was brought to his attention.
The EFF has approached Debbie Schäfer, MEC for education in the Western Cape, to intervene, as well as the Human Rights Commission. In the meantime Schäfer resigned on 21 April.
However, El Shaddai Christian School is an independent school and does not report to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
The WCED confirmed it is aware of the allegations against the school, “which is an independent school and follows its own complaints processes”, says Millicent Merton of the WCED.
“The department was informed that the matter is being addressed by the Human Rights Commission,” she says.
Chris Nissen, Western Cape commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, says the incident is under investigation.
Siebert Myburgh, principal of El Shaddai Christian School, confirmed the allegations.
“We have referred this matter to the school governing body, as well as our legal team,” Myburgh says.
The school’s governing body has commanded an independent investigation and the school is working closely with the independent investigation, he says.
The governing body is awaiting the final report of the investigation, which is expected at the end of May.
