A teacher has been suspended from a Cape Town school amid racism allegations.
It is alleged that the Fish Hoek High School teacher used a derogatory term in front of pupils.
News24 was unable to verify the details of the incident at the time of publication.
However, Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond confirmed the suspension.
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She said the teacher had been appointed by the school governing body.
"The WCED has sent officials to the school to engage with the school management and learners regarding the allegations that have been raised… We will now proceed to interview and engage with learners regarding their alleged experiences," Hammond added.
In a statement, Fish Hoek High School management and school governing body said the incident took place in a classroom on Monday.
“An educator used [a] racist terms during a lesson whilst attempting to explain historical context. However, the use of any racist terminology, whatever the context, is unacceptable and inconsistent with our values. We deeply regret the pain this has caused,” the statement said.
The school has held a meeting with pupils to hear broader concerns around racism, intolerance and insensitivity, the statement said.
“The Western Cape Education Department has been involved and will assist with dealing with the particular incident as well as broader issues with a multi-skilled team. We acknowledge we have fallen short of our school’s values and need to do more to uphold the dignity and equality of all at our school. This must be viewed not as something that has happened to us, but as something that has happened for us,” the school said.
“Our school is committed to working with the Fish Hoek High School community (pupils, parents and community) in upholding the dignity of all and creating a school environment in which we can feel proud.”Never miss a story. Choose from our range of newsletters to get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox.
