12 Learners at Pretoria High Suspended for Suspected Racism. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has just released a statement about the suspension of 12 learners at Pretoria High School for Girls. The learners have been suspended over allegations of racism.
“The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is aware that about 12 learners from Pretoria High School for Girls were suspended in response to allegations of racism at the school.“
“According to information at our disposal, on Thursday, July 18, the school alerted the Tshwane South District about a planned protest by a group of learners scheduled for Friday, July 19.“
“This was triggered by alleged racial connotations, micro-aggressions, and complaints about black learners, which were ventilated through a WhatsApp Group comprised of white learners,” reads the statement.
The conversations that the girls had allegedly included racial commentary about the ongoing dissatisfaction among black learners regarding issues they faced at the school. They alluded to these issues being insignificant. Also commentary about a black hair protest by learners that reportedly took place at the school in 2016 was also made in the group chat.
The School Governing Body has thus suspended all implicated learners. Their disciplinary hearing is scheduled to take place on July 30 and July 31.
12 PRETORIA GIRLS HIGH LEARNERS SUSPENDED FOR SUSPECTED RACISM
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) July 24, 2024
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is aware that about 12 learners from Pretoria High School for Girls were suspended in response to allegations of racism at the school. pic.twitter.com/UrjtYXkEdE
This is not the first time Pretoria High School for Girls. In 2020, pupils staged a protest at the school to tackle sexism, homophobia and racism, that they alleged was prevalent at the school.
Four years before that, the school made headlines after a protest over its discriminatory policy advising black pupils to straighten their hair.
