Cape Times reports that the suspended Sans Souci Girls' High School teacher and 16-year-old pupil from the school each appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday – a few courtrooms apart – after they had both laid assault charges against each other.
While the 34-year-old Clarissa Venter's case was conducted in open court and ended up being postponed to 18 April for further investigation, the Grade 9 pupil's case was held in camera. The pupil who was slapped by her teacher at the beginning of the month after a verbal altercation – seen in a video that went viral – has said she never wants to go back to the institution again. The teacher and pupil both remain suspended pending disciplinary hearings. "It’s toxic. It’s not a safe space for anyone to be, because if you don’t bow down to what they have to say - whether it’s right or wrong - you are then (considered) disrespectful. You are victimised, bullied and treated badly," the pupil claimed. But her mother insisted that she has not yet decided whether she will remove her daughter because they "first need to clear this up". The Chamber of Legal Students, representing the pupil, has not only lodged a complaint with the Equality Court, but has also called on Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to probe the matter.
- Read the full original report on this story at Cape Times
- Read too a report at News24
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