Gun violence and assaults: Teachers recount harrowing incidents in classrooms

Two Cape Town teachers have shared their harrowing experiences of gun violence and physical assault in schools, one of whom was gun pointed twice inside a classroom by a learner who pulled the trigger, revealing it was an imitation gun, and the other, beaten with a chair.

Their testimonies come as Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube and Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, jointly launch the Collaborative Implementation Protocol on School Safety in Parliament, on Tuesday. 

The Cape Argus last month exclusively revealed that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) received 50 reports of physical and verbal assaults on teachers since the start of the year.

The teacher who faced the barrel of the firearm twice by the same learner is currently receiving support at a mental facility and is fearing returning back to the classroom.

The teacher said she is still having nightmares.

“I was pointed with a gun by a learner in my class, a learner I teach. According to the school it's not a real gun," she said.

“He pointed the gun at me twice and both times he pulled the trigger thrice, those clicking sounds I heard will always be in my head. 

“Last year Safer Schools promised law enforcement will be at our school everyday and we are in gangsters paradise where gun shots are heard on a daily basis.

“I am scared to go back next term because the area where the school is, every second learner is related to a gangster and that's why I did not open a case at SAPS."

Another teacher said he was beaten by a 14-year-old learner who used a chair during the attack and he did not lodge a criminal complaint, only that the child was suspended.

“During a supervised vocational skills class activity, I had to reprimand a learner numerous times for dangerous behaviour, including running around with a chair and engaging in a physical altercation with another learner,” he said.

“I intervened to de-escalate the situation by removing the chair and throwing it in a far empty corner, then firmly instructed both learners to sit down and refrain from further disruption.

“While I was assisting the rest of the class with marking out a wooden frame, the learner retrieved the chair from the far end of the classroom, walked towards me and struck me from behind, in the presence of approximately 15 learners.

“I immediately removed him from the classroom and instructed him to report to the principal's office.

"While radio'ing for assistance, the learner repeatedly attempted to force his way back into the classroom, physically pushing me aside in the process."

Riedwaan Ahmed, provincial chief executive officer for the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) said they had seen an increase in assault on teachers and were concerned.

“In one instance an educator reached out to the circuit manager as she was too afraid to go back to school. We had a meeting, and he indicated he could not really assist as the learner had not returned to school and a disciplinary hearing had not yet taken place. The member was booked into a mental health facility whilst others are being referred to consult the Employee Wellness Programme. The well-being of our educators is of utmost concern, and we have tabled this matter for the consultation in the provincial School Safety Task Team.”

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus