Two Mondale High School boys accused of stabbing another pupil are due to appear before the school’s governing body this evening.
This comes after they appeared in Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court on charges of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm on Friday March 13.
On Tuesday March 10 a Grade 9 pupil, 15, was stabbed by two Grade 10 boys during interval in a school toilet.
One of the boys first appeared alone in court the next day but both of them were in court two days later.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokeswoman Bronagh Hammond said the Grade 9 pupil sustained stab wounds and was rushed to hospital.
“We simply cannot and will not accept this kind of behaviour in our schools. The pupils involved will have to face a disciplinary hearing,” she said.
Provincial head of department Brian Schreuder said pupil discipline in schools remained a huge concern.
“Physical or verbal abuse will simply not be tolerated, and I have taken a strong stance on this. We need to protect those pupils and teachers who want to contribute towards quality teaching and learning. Violent and abusive behaviour have no place in our schools. Pupils and their individual rights must be central to what happens in every school.”
He said schools were places, where pupils should enter to learn and leave to serve.
“Gang affiliations, violence, verbal threats and substance abuse have no place in our schools. Tougher action will be taken in future against repetitive bullying in our schools.
“Schools must please ensure that their codes of conduct also apply to online pupil activity when it comes to social media bullying,” he said.
Schools must implement disciplinary action should pupils transgress their codes of conduct.
“This serves as a warning to all pupils of this province to respect their schools, peers and teachers. I appeal to all communities, parents, teachers and schools to take hands to keep our schools safe and protect them as places of learning. Let us keep violence, conflict, drug use and abuse off our school premises,” he said.