WeeklySA_AdminINJUSTICE:The boy apparently suffered trauma after being expelled for failing to complete school’s homework…
By Frank Maponya
A Limpopo school which expelled a learner for allegedly failing to complete his homework is being sued by a parent. Polokwane’s Northern Academy Secondary School is facing a lawsuit from Solly Mahlo, the father a grade 12 pupil, who is reported to have suffered trauma after the expulsion. The boy spent four months at home, as a result.
The school is among the many private institutions falling under Curro. Mahlo took the matter to the Polokwane High Court, which ruled in favour of his son and ordered his reinstatement though it was late in the academic year.
Mahlo snr is now suing the school for causing trauma to his son. His lawyer, Hans Mamabolo, had argued that the boy was heavily stressed as a result of the school’s workload, hence he had failed to complete his English and Geography homework.
Mamabolo’s contention was that the offences were minor and did not warrant expulsion. The boy was allegedly given voluminous work together with other learners after their return to school from the lengthy absence caused by the Covid-19 lockdown last year.
The boy’s father said other learners who had also failed to complete their homework, but were not punished. Mahlo said the decision to expel his son from school was racially motivated.
“I was taken by surprise to discover the school’s head of student affairs, Johann Oosthuizen, had recommended expulsion for my son,” said Mahlo.
He said the four months that his son had stayed at home resulted in him becoming suicidal. But after winning the case, the boy was reinstated even though it was already late. He subsequently failed his exams.
In a judgment delivered on November 4 2020, the court ruled that the expulsion was unfair and further ordered the school to reinstate the boy “with immediate effect.” It also ordered the school to pay for the costs.
“It is clear that the punishment meted out amounts to humiliation and victimisation in front of the approximately 2 000 learners at the school,” read the judgment in part. Mahlo has vowed to fight tooth and nail to ensure that the school paid for its sins. “I cannot sit and fold my arms when the school has displayed racist tendencies. I want it to pay,” he said, further vowing to go as far as the Constitutional Court to ensure justice prevailed.
The father said he had received a report from the specialist social work psychologist and was awaiting another from the education specialist psychologist with whom his son had been consulting during the ordeal.
Approached for comment, Oosthuizen confirmed knowledge of the matter but referred further inquiries to the school’s management, Curro. Several attempts to contact Curro were fruitless and an email sent to them had not been responded to.
