In its attempt to root out initiation ceremonies at schools, the Gauteng education department (GED) has issued letters to two teachers asking them to explain their role in initiation ceremonies at Parktown High School last year.
Charles Phahlane, GED’s spokesperson, said this was the first step in determining if any disciplinary measures should be taken against the teachers.
Said Phahlane: ”initiation ceremonies are not allowed in our schools” and that ”the department is committed to ensuring that every learner does well at school and leaves our institutions with the values, knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chance of success in adult life”.
In June last year Pene KImber, a mother of a 17-year-old grade 11 boy, alleged that her son was ”savagely molested” in one of the school’s hostels as part of an initiation ceremony by grade twelve pupils.
Kimber alleged that her son was woken up in the middle of the night and was dragged to a playing field where he was stripped naked with other grade 11 pupils.
She said that as part of the initiation ceremony, Deep Heat was rubbed onto her son’s genitals and he was assaulted with golf clubs, cricket bats and hockey sticks. She laid charges and 12 grade 12 pupils who were allegedly involved in this incident, are now attending a court case.