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By Francesca Villette 
4h ago
Cape Town – The Western Cape provincial education department said it is collaborating with Brackenfell High School regarding allegations that it has not had a black teacher work at the school in nearly a decade.
This while the Democratic Union of Teachers of SA (Sadtu) has demanded an apology for the black students and the parents of the school, who felt left out when only white students attended a privately organized tuition dance.
The northern suburban school came into the spotlight this week when a parent took to social media to discredit the matrix ball, which was videotaped showing only white students and their peers.
In the later part of the incident, another student alleged that racism was pervasive in the school and that he has not employed a black teacher since 1994.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) Bronagh Hammond yesterday released statistics from 2011 showing that there were two teachers of color currently working at the school, compared with 40 white teachers.
One color teacher is employed in a state paid WCED position, while the other is a School Governing Body (SGB) position.
There are no statistics for black teachers on the WCED state paid list of positions at the school.
“WCED has had no prior complaints regarding alleged discrimination at the school this year. The district is collaborating with the school on these allegations, ”Hammond said.
Regarding the tuition dance, he said the department is aware that a private event was held that was not organized by the school.
Two professors were invited to the event and attended as guests.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) provincial president Jonavon Rustin said having diversity in school was important and that the school’s transformation policy should be reviewed.
On the supposedly exclusive ball, Rustin said it doesn’t reflect well on the school and parenting community.
“It smells of alleged racism within the school and polarizes the school community, the province and the country, which will have disastrous effects in the future if it is not corrected.
“If we want to build a unified SA, such practices should be frowned upon and criticized. It needs to be corrected. “
Rustin demanded that the dance organizers apologize to the excluded students and their parents.
When the Cape Times called the school, they maintained that the event was organized by parents, as the school is not hosting an official one due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A parent on the organizing committee, who spoke on the condition that she remain anonymous for her son’s protection, said the event was private and that she and other parents of her daughter’s friends organized it.
He said that his children invited whoever they wanted.
“Everything was blown up, it was never meant to be anything they’re saying, they were just white kids. My children also have friends of color, they invited their friends.
“I don’t understand why I should apologize for something I didn’t do wrong. It was not intended at all. I’m sorry they felt left out, it wasn’t like that, ”said the father.
Cape times
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