The principal of troubled Hoër Tegniese Skool Rustenburg North West, where a student was stabbed to death by his schoolmate has raised concerns about what he calls a wayward culture that includes the use of drugs, bullying and absenteeism at the school.
Edward Langberg, the headmaster at Hoër Tegniese told a parents meeting that learners at the school smoked weed and drugs excessively and skipped classes for no valid reasons.
Langberg called on parents to get involved in their children’s schooling saying teachers alone were unable to reign in wayward groupings.
“We’re not used to rowdy learners and certainly didn’t anticipate violence, but it has happened. I’m to make sure that policy and procedure is applied here at school. I’m the father as well as mother of your child when they’re at school and it is my responsibility to make sure that they’re safe.
“We’re not here to fight but we’re here to find solutions to a problem. What happened is not ok and I don’t like it but we have a bigger problem of learners who smoke marijuana, drugs before coming to school.
“They loiter in corners every morning smoking, ending up arriving late at school. We need to work together in order to bring calm as the management and the SGB have tried but failed as this problem is bigger than us, hence we call the department to intervene,” said Langberg.
One of the parents opened up about how her son was bullied and assaulted at school and ended up having breathing problems for two weeks.
The parent who didn’t mention her name has alleged that the learner who was stabbed to death at the Rustenburg bus terminal, Lethabo Sibanda, was a bully, adding that she had to open a case against him after he had assaulted her son. She has urged parents to not side with their children when they’re wrong.
The North West MEC for Department of Education, Viola Motsumi has apologised to the mother after hearing her story and has promised to intervene. She has acknowledged the department’s weakness but emphasised the importance of working together with parents as well as strengthening their relationship with relevant stakeholders.
Motsumi, however, noted the issue of bullying which was raised by a parent, saying it is more sensitive, especially because the community is still mourning the passing of Sibanda.
The learner arrested in connection with the murder remains in custody while Sibanda is expected to be buried over the weekend at Tsitsing village near Rustenburg.
