North West Education Department Confirms Lawsuit From Teacher Assaulted by Pupil and Staff Members

• A mathematics teacher is threatening legal action against the North West Education Department after being assaulted
• The teacher opened a case of assault after the attack left him with serious injuries, which required him to take sick leave
• A Grade 10 learner, his father and a member of the school governing board punched the teacher until he lost consciousness

NORTH WEST - The Department of Education in the North West confirmed that it is aware of a case a mathematics teacher opened after a learner and Obang High School staff members assaulted him.

The teacher is taking legal action against the department after the violent incident left him with severe injuries and required the teacher to take sick leave.

North West teacher struggles to discipline unruly learner

The incident occurred on 14 February 2023 when the teacher got into an altercation with the pupil, the learner's father, who was also a gardener at the school and a member of the school governing board (SGB).

Read also

13-year-old boy killed after police used live ammunition during electricity protest, SA left reeling

The teacher, who wished to remain unnamed, told The Citizen that before the assault, the pupil had been misbehaving.

The teacher said that members of the SGB and the deputy principal took the boy to discipline him for his misbehaviour, at which point he was beaten by an SGB member who was his relative.

Pupil, his father and SGB member assault North West Mathematics teacher

The pupil came back to the teacher crying, claiming that he was the reason the SGB members beat him. The boy's father came running in the man's direction and punched him in the face.

Another SGB member joined in on the assault and punched the teacher in the face as well. The man lost consciousness and came to the school's sick room.

North West school closed down due to gang-related crimes

Read also

Frantic search for rat delays court proceedings of prominent Pastor on trial for sexual abuse in Pretoria

In a separate incident in the northwest, the John Frylinck Secondary School in Vryburg closed for two days in April after a spate of gang-related crimes.

The North West Education department received a report that pupils came to school armed with dangerous weapons with the intention to carry out assaults, News24 reported

School safety under the spotlight following 2 violent incidents in Gauteng schools: “Disgusting behaviour”

Earlier, Briefly News reported that the Governing Body Foundation (GBF) called for new disciplinary measures in schools following two violent incidents that rocked the country.

Two Gauteng schools came under the spotlight after videos of horrific and violent incidents were shared on social media. In one incident, a Grade 10 boy was stabbed to death, and in the other, a Grade 10 girl was physically assaulted.

Both incidents raised alarm bells on social media, with many calling for urgent intervention. The foundation believes that psychological support is needed for learners throughout the year.

Source: Briefly News