By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane on Monday visited the Primrose Primary School in Germiston, following the incident where a learner, aged 13, shot the school principal.
The principal (51) is still recovering from the gunshot wound in hospital.
Addressing the school’s learners, Chiloane urged them to always respect the teaching staff and the school’s management.
“He (the learner accused of shooting the principal) did something that no one has ever done in our schools. You must respect your teachers, all the times.You must respect your school principal all the times. You must listen to them because your teachers are your parents in school,” said the MEC.
“Schools are safe. That child did something that shocked all of us. What is going to happen is unfortunate because once you do something like this, even your future gets compromised.
“We do not know what is going to happen to the child, but he is arrested, and there is a jail for children, and it’s not nice. We didn’t want to lose (the pupil), but he did something that no child has ever done at our school, where a child shoots a principal or teacher.
The MEC assured the learners and teachers that they will be safe inside the school environment. He said, he will beef up the security at the premises.
“Educators are not law enforcers, they are not trained for physical altercation. They are trained to teach. That’s why it is important to us to invest in the safety of the school entirely. The situation has brought us into a situation where we need to review as to what kind of training we should give to our educators, how to prepare them not physical training but the additional skills to handle situations, maybe negotiation skills if needs be”.
Chiloane said the pupil was on a WhatsApp group with other pupils where the shooting of the principal was discussed.
“For those learners who are part of it, we are looking into it in terms of charging them and punishment we’ll look at it to inform our action.”
Chiloane also interacted with members of the school management team and the school governing body.
The provincial department has also deployed the psycho-social support team to support the school.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said, “The teenager is expected to appear before Germiston Magistrate’s Court soon, on a charge of attempted murder.”