The South African Council for Educators (SACE) will investigate the death of a Grade 9 pupil from PJ Simelane Secondary School in Dobsonville, Soweto.
The pupil is believed to have died by suicide after he was allegedly discriminated against for his sexual orientation by a student teacher during an oral presentation.
The department withdrew the student teacher from her duties, and a SACE investigating officer has been appointed to look into the matter, the Gauteng Department of Education has confirmed.
“Accordingly, the SACE investigator has already interacted with our district officials to assist with the investigation. We have since dispatched a Safety Coordinator to the school for support regarding bullying, safety, and advocacy on gender-based issues,” said the department.
The department stated that its Psycho-Social Unit has deployed a team of psychologists to provide counselling to learners at the school.
“We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the family and the school community. We strongly condemn any discrimination by both learners and educators, and we wish to remind all schools that any form of abuse will not be tolerated in our environment,” said the Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi.
Also read: https://sundayworld.co.za/education/basic-education-bids-farewell-to-assistant-teachers/
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