What do you do if the school bully is your child’s teacher?

Education activists and child experts have warned that teachers’ words and actions can have long-lasting effects on a learner’s psyche.

This comes after parents have come forward blaming teachers for either bullying or victimising their children at school, and accusing authorities of taking a comfortable seat.

The Cape Argus reported on two incidents of alleged bullying this week, where teachers at Parow High allegedly bullied and victimised learners to the point of them needing to see a psychologist and one even trying to commit suicide.

Since the article was published, more parents from various schools across the metro have voiced their frustrations about similar incidents and have called for an audit of teachers’ actions towards learners.

Education activist and founder of Parents for Equal Education SA (Peesa), Vanessa le Roux, says the organisation received similar cases on a daily basis.

“I don’t for one second believe that the Education Department realises the seriousness of this matter, or the amount of suffering victims of bullying and their families go through. This happens more often than we think, and not only is it bullying, it is also abuse of power, as teachers are in a position of authority,” Le Roux says.

She says although many would see the parents expressing their concerns as “teacher-bashing”, she believed nothing would change if educators did not possess the maturity to face criticism.

“When parents report it to the department, all the they do is tick a box to say it was reported to the district. A social worker then comes with their one-hour-a-month session, that is if they are lucky to have a social worker, and families are the ones who fear each and every day for the lives of their children.

“If they were serious about tackling this, they would tear up that form tomorrow and start meeting with activists and organisations dealing with bully campaigns, but it won't happen because they are not ready for the truth yet. They treat parents like they are a burden if they want to find answers,” she said.

Kavya Swaminathan, an interventions team supervisor at the TEARS Foundation, a crisis intervention and advocacy organisation, says teachers' actions can have a detrimental effect on a child’s self-esteem.

“This can result in the internalisation of these negative ideals which can further perpetuate bad behaviours. This can include lack of motivation and disinterest in further studies, leaving them open to further persecution by their peers and teachers. All it takes is for one teacher to label a child a ‘bad apple’ for a child’s entire reputation to be affected. Not only will they have a great distrust of figures of authority, but all their future interpersonal relationships will forever be affected.

“And because these children are being abused by people they see as figures of authority, they feel like they have nowhere to turn when it comes to reporting or escalating the case.”

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Millicent Merton said the department viewed all allegations in a serious light and acted upon them.

“The Employment of Educators Act outlines conduct that may be viewed as misconduct. The employer may therefore charge an employee in the event that there is a breach.”

She said within the department, complaints were lodged at various levels.

“Complainants should not attempt to skip a level because they believe this will resolve their complaint quicker.”

“If the complainant has not approached the school, they should be directed to the school to make an appointment to see the relevant official at the school (eg, first the educator concerned, then the departmental head/deputy principal and then the principal).

“Only if the complainant is not satisfied with the handling or outcome of their complaint by the school, may he or she escalate the complaint to the next level.

“More often than not, the complaints are resolved at school level,” Merton said.

She said the department had also identified psychosocial support and wellness as a priority area. It offered a three-tiered approach to dealing with psycho-social or mental health challenges.

*If you or someone you know has been raped or abused, dial *134*7355# or contact TEARS at 010 590 5920 or info@tears.co.za.

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za