Africa-Press – South-Africa. A shocking video of a classroom brawl, during which a schoolboy at the Hoërskool Jan de Klerk in Krugersdorp jumps on the back of the elderly teacher, while he holds him in a choke grip, has gone viral.
The Gauteng education department has confirmed the chaotic disruption at the school.
In the 12-second clip, schoolgirls cackled and cheered, while pupils shoved each other and threw punches. Some fell to the floor, crashing into desks.
One of the pupils jumped on the back of the elderly teacher, pointing toward the action, and resisting the educator’s attempts to get free.
A number of children can be heard laughing, as the distressed adult in the room struggles to retain control of his class.
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The educator, who has been identified as a Mr Botha, a Maths teacher, desperately tried to break the boy’s chokehold.
But the boy clung to him with his left arm – and used his right arm to point the teacher toward the class fight. The boy appeared to be telling the standing teacher to do something.
Teacher unions have expressed shock and anger over the incident.
The National Association of Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa) said teachers work in fearful conditions due to the violent behaviour of pupils.
Naptosa’s executive director, Basil Manuel, described the video as “terrible and horrendous”.
Manuel said:
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said the incident proved that South African society had lost its moral compass.
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Sadtu’s general secretary, Mugwena Maluleka, condemned the incident.
Maluleka said:
He said that, due to increasing violence, schools will soon run out of teachers.
“That will be the beginning of destroying our country – because a country without teachers cannot have democracy, empowerment and an inclusive economy,” said Maluleka.
The spokesperson for the Gauteng education department, Steve Mabona, confirmed the incident happened at Hoërskool Jan de Klerk.
Mabona said the fight broke out on Wednesday, 20 April 2022, after a Grade 10 pupil went to a Grade 11 class without permission, while teaching was in progress, and allegedly took a photo of a Grade 11 pupil despite a teacher being present.
Mabona said the Grade 11 pupil was then reported to have asked the Grade 10 pupil to remove the photo from his cellphone, after which he assaulted him.
“Subsequently, a fight broke out with other classmates joining in. During this scuffle, one Grade 11 learner is seen to have taken advantage of the chaos and jumped on Mr Botha, the teacher present at the time,” said Mabona.
He said a disciplinary processes have been scheduled for the pupils involved in the incident.
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