The Umlazi mother was unaware of the attack on her daughter last September until a two-minute and 40-second video clip surfaced on social media this week.
The clip shows two Grade 11 schoolgirls, one wearing the school’s uniform and the other in pyjamas, repeatedly assaulting her daughter as she lies on a bed.
One of the bullies, who calls herself “mother”, demands to know why the girl had ignored her when she was summoned.
KwaZulu-Natal education departmental spokesman Isaac Luthuli yesterday said the girl’s mother attended the disciplinary hearing, which led to the expulsion of the two schoolgirls, but was still finding it difficult to understand exactly what happened.
“We have interacted with the family and as expected they were devastated by this incident. We have offered counselling to the mother of the child as a department since we believe that this incident is traumatic.”
“The mother understood that it was a learner orchestrated issue and is finding it difficult to accept and understand what her child went through,” he said.
He said the girl’s parents have not removed her from the school. However, she was receiving counselling as the release of the video had forced her to relive her trauma.
Principal Doris Fulela was not at school yesterday.
A staff member, who did not want to be identified, said pupils “were talking” about the video.
“They have seen it because it is everywhere. It is bad news that this school doesn’t need.”
The video surfaced less than six months after pupils attacked two teachers during a rampage to prevent the ousting of Fulela.
In June last year examinations were disrupted when teachers went on strike because Fulela refused to resign.
Shortly afterwards a site visit by KwaZulu-Natal education head Nkosinathi Sishi revealed that pupils were “roaming on the streets” during lesson time and that one of the school buildings was used as a drug den.
The school, which accommodates pupils from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, was once one of the most reputable boarding schools in the province and was often referred to as the “pride of Umlazi”. TimesLive.co.za
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