“This is negligence, if the school was extra careful, my daughter would be alive today.”
These are the words of Joseph Temilton, the father of a grade 7 pupil at Laerskool Queenswood in Pretoria, who was speaking at the funeral service of his daughter Latoya, who drowned last Saturday at a school’s excursion in Witkoppen, Olifantsfontein.
According to the grieving father who spoke at her funeral in Moremela in Mpumalanga, he lost a loving, joyous and intelligent child he looked forward to seeing grow up. Joseph accused the school of being negligent.
“When parents drop off their kids at school they do so because they believe they are in the good care of the teachers as they are also their parents. I was shocked when I received a call that my daughter had died. My daughter drowned due to the school’s negligence,” said the grieving father.
It is reported that live jackets were not provided to the learners who were at the excursion and two others survived the tragic incident.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has appointed a private legal firm to investigate the incident.
The MEC is expected to introduce the law firm to the school management on Monday before it resumes with the probe.