Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) are dismayed at reports that Operation Dudula has launched a campaign to remove migrant children from schools in Diepsloot, Johannesburg.
This follows news that the Diepsloot branch of Operation Dudula has circulated a message with xenophobic undertones on social media. The message implies that migrant children are being unfairly placed in public schools at the expense of South African children.
According to the EE and EELC, adults have been marching through the streets and going to various schools in the township asking for migrant children to be removed from the premises.
“This message is dangerous and incites a culture of thinking that fuels xenophobia. This is visible in the worrying comments that were made on Equal Education Law Centre’s social media post that was meant to empower undocumented learners,” said Equal Education.
It condemned such actions, saying they amount to bullying and intimidation.
“Schools already face challenges in preventing discrimination against vulnerable learners, fostering diversity and inclusivity, and providing a secure learning environment for all children.
“Operation Dudula’s ideas, whether they are carried out or not, support and promote discrimination and violence and foster an atmosphere in which xenophobia can flourish.”
The EE explained further: “The right to basic education is a human right that is extended to all who live in our country. This means that all children in South Africa, regardless of where they come from and what their documentation status is, have an equal right to education.”
It also called on the Department of Basic Education to publicly condemn Operation Dudula’s call and reiterate the right of migrant children to access schooling in South Africa.
“We want the department to ensure that appropriate safety measures are put in place in schools that are at risk of intimidation by Operation Dudula.”
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