North West Education MEC Ordered to Pay R2.8 Million After Child Stabbed in Eye at School

• The North West MEC for Education has been ordered by the court to pay just over R2.8 million to the mother of a primary school child
• The payment follows an incident in which the child was stabbed in the eye by a fellow learner at a school in the North West
• The case has returned to court to determine the amount of damages to be awarded to the victim's family

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

The North West MEC for education has been ordered to pay just over R2.8 million to the mother of a child who was stabbed in the eye by a fellow learner at school.

Child stabbed in the eye

The North West High Court in Mahikeng found education authorities fully responsible for the child’s injuries, pointing to insufficient teacher supervision at the time of the incident. The matter returned to court to assess the appropriate damages, with medical and other expert reports presented on the boy’s injuries and his long-term outlook. The court was told that the child, a top-performing pupil at Seraleng Primary School, lost sight in one eye as a result of the stabbing. In granting just over R2.8 million in compensation, the court acknowledged that the school had offered the option of transferring him to a private school if his mother chose to pursue it.

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According to IOL, the court highlighted that the boy would have access to various support services if he continues at a government school. The awarded compensation will be placed in a trust and managed on his behalf. The child, who was in Grade 3 when the incident occurred, sustained serious injuries to his left eye. His mother attributed the accident to insufficient supervision, and the court agreed, ruling that the education department has a legal obligation to oversee and protect learners, ensuring a safe environment for all students.

Mother rushed to the school

The mother recounted that on the day of the incident, an unfamiliar teacher called urgently, asking her to come to the school immediately because her child had been hurt. While waiting for transport from Rustenburg Kloof to Seraleng, she asked the child’s aunt to take him to a nearby clinic. There, she saw that his eye was covered with toilet paper soaked in what she described as a dark substance. The boy cried in pain as nurses tried to clean the wound. He was later admitted to a hospital for surgery, where doctors confirmed that he had permanently lost sight in one eye.

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The mother testified that the boy had been a playful child who enjoyed soccer and performed well at school before the accident. Since the injury, his academic performance has declined. She said that the child no longer socialises with friends and spends much of his time sleeping. His poor eyesight has made everyday tasks difficult, forcing her to replace most of the glass items in their home with plastic.

3 More school-related stories

• Briefly News also reported that a grade 9 learner from a school in Alice in the Eastern Cape was the victim of an attack when he was stabbed with scissors.
• A violent altercation at the school turned deadly when a group of learners allegedly fatally stabbed one of the learners.
• A learner from Mitchells Plain in the Cape Flats stabbed three learners before fleeing.

Source: Briefly News