Cape Town - While teaching has resumed at Heathfield High School, it has not returned to normal as law enforcement continues to keep watch following volatile disruptions.
The school has also halted the traditional attendance model and reintroduced the rotational system, which is expected to be in place for about two weeks with the exception of matrics.
Teaching and learning had to be suspended on Wednesday following alarming scenes on Tuesday when pupils who disrupted classes allegedly stoned law enforcement vehicles.
The officers conducted searches which the pupils were unhappy about, with illegal substances and weapons allegedly confiscated.
The school has been unstable after former principal Wesley Neumann was dismissed by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) in May.
This resulted from his refusal to reopen the school amid the Covid-19 infection peak in 2020.
According to Education MEC David Maynier grades 9, 11 and 12 returned to class without incident on Thursday.
“The safety of our learners and staff at school is a priority, and teaching and learning must be allowed to continue without disruption.
“Parents at the school are rightfully concerned about the situation and want their children to be able to learn in a peaceful, safe environment, which is why all stakeholders are working together to stabilise the situation at the school, and ensure that discipline and order are instilled. We appeal to parents to play their role in ensuring that their children take their education and safety seriously, and that they do not engage in the disruption we saw earlier this week.”
The South African Human Rights Education Commission’s education commissioner André Gaum said: “People can voice their grievances in a peaceful manner. The right to protest cannot be exercised by violating the right to basic education of other learners or threatening the safety of other people. The commissioner is very concerned about the quality of education that might be impacted and the loss of teaching time because learners have already been impacted by Covid-19 learning disruptions. The department needs to take all necessary steps to urgently resolve this.”
Cape Times