Just a slap on the wrist

2003-03-10 23:08

Adriaan Basson

Johannesburg - "How is it possible for someone to smack my child off his feet and only be given a warning?"

Expressing his dismay was Pieter de Villiers after being informed that the headmaster of Louw Geldenhuys Primary, who reportedly slapped his son in the face a year ago after the boy had tossed a burning match on the school's lapa, had been given a warning by the South African Educators' Council.

Jaco de Villiers, now in Grade 8 at Linden High School in Johannesburg, was allegedly slapped twice in the face in March last year by headmaster Arrie Genis.

Jaco had taken the matches to school as part of a group project. During break he waved the match to extinguish the flame and tossed it in the direction of the lapa.

The match landed on the lapa roof and the thatch started smouldering. Jaco and a friend extinguished the fire - which left a mark no bigger than a man's palm.

De Villiers phoned Beeld on Monday morning and told the paper he had received no word from the education department a year after his son's complaint was laid.

Abdul Funnah from the council confirmed that Genis had been given a written warning. He added that there had been no clear indication of Genis violating the council's code of conduct.

De Villiers was shocked to hear that Genis got off with only a warning, saying he was not "satisfied in the least" with the council's decision.

Genis said on Monday he had received a letter from the council and that De Villiers should direct any further enquiries to the council.

"If he wants to run to newspapers with this again, he is welcome to," Genis said.

- Beeld