Staff Reporter.
Cornwall Hill College met with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) Thursday, 03 June 2021 to discuss the school’s transformation journey.
The school’s leadership and SAHRC spoke extensively on the work already carried out at the school on its transformation journey and discussed ways in which the school can draw upon the SAHRC’s services and expertise on the road ahead as an independent third party.
Cornwall Hill College Executive Principal Leon Kunneke noted that the school is absolutely committed to carrying out a participative and transparent transformation process.
“We fully recognise the importance of being open and honest about such a critical issue for our school and for the country. We will therefore be drawing on the input from a variety of expert partners and consultancies in designing our transformation roadmap. We aim to ensure that our college remains an educational institution of choice with an environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all, “he said.
“We had an extremely fruitful meeting with the SAHRC and believe that their services will be extremely useful to us. They have offered us their input and expertise, and we truly appreciate their willingness to walk alongside us on this journey.”
Following yesterday’s meeting, the SAHRC and the college agreed in principle that as an independent third party, the SAHRC will conduct interviews with pupils, staff, management, the Board of Directors and a sample of parents to assist the school to gain clearer insights into the root causes of parents’ and pupils’ concerns.
The SAHRC and College management will meet again in due course to discuss the arrangements for these interviews and to ensure that there is minimal disruption to the school’s day-to-day activities. Once the SAHRC has gained the qualitative data needed, it will then share its recommendations with the school so it can resolve any outstanding issues or concerns.
Cornwall Hill College has also invited the SAHRC’s input in reviewing its policies, procedures and code of conduct for learners, ensuring that these remain fit for purpose and suggesting any improvements.
Finally, the college confirmed that it has begun work on designing a diversity programme which will be rolled-out to pupils over the course of the next few months. It was then offered access to the SAHRC’s teaching toolkits in order to further enrich this process.
“We value the SAHRC’s assistance, as well as the ongoing input and guidance from the Diversity and Transformation Committee,” said Kunneke.
“We will continue to report back on our progress through official channels so that our immediate stakeholders will be able to see the positive progress that is being made.”