No end to Northern Cape pupil intimidation

2012-10-05 20:12

(File) (Shutterstock)

Johannesburg - Pupils who returned to 41 schools that had been closed due to service delivery protests in the Northern Cape are still being intimidated, Naptosa said on Friday.

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA in that province said it was concerned about the intimidation still taking place at some schools.

"What concerns Naptosa is the situation where schools are still not open, although it is only a few schools, [and] the fact that members of some unions are prohibiting the schools to re-open and intimidating Naptosa teachers who want to teach," Naptosa CEO in the Northern Cape Louwrens Strydom said.

Children in the province stopped attending schools in June as residents in the Olifantshoek, Kuruman and Kathu areas protested over the lack of tarred roads and other municipal services.

Support needed

By the end of September, pupils returned to school following interventions by the public protector, the deputy minister of mineral resources, and the police minister.

Naptosa said teachers and pupils subjected to intimidation by protesters needed support from the social development department.

"Many of the learners and teachers experienced violence and intimidation of a very aggressive nature... if not [supported], the lesson to the learners will be that using violence and intimidation is the way to solve problems," he said.

Strydom said teachers and pupils needed to undergo counselling. He was relieved at the news that grade 12 pupils would write their exams at a central point.

"This will prohibit disgruntled community members from disrupting this important examination."

- SAPA