The Department of Education in Mpumalanga (MPDoE) has condemned the violent conduct of pupils from Greendale Secondary School.
This comes after a group of schoolboys, fully dressed in school uniform were seen on a video that has gone viral, fighting. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning.
In the video, it appears that a group of boys gang up to beat another boy learner, resulting in bodily injuries.
The department criticised the behaviour in the strongest terms possible. The motive behind the physical altercation is still unclear.
It said the initiation of disciplinary proceedings as guided by the South African Schools Act was highly a priority to deal with the matter.
The department called for the immediate suspension of the affected learners involved in the fight. It demanded a detailed report of the incident from the school.
The department has also called on parents and other role-players to cooperate with teachers and the school governing body (SGB) to reinforce good conduct and discipline as guided by the code of conduct for learners.
The department said it would deploy officials to the school to work with the SGB to take action against those involved. It stated that it would monitor the developments at the school.
Meanwhile, the department welcomed all teachers, non-teaching staff, and learners back from the June holidays to schools for the third quarter.
It further appealed to all stakeholders to heed the need to make every effort to enhance teaching and learning in the third term.
“This quarter is a significant one in the annual school calendar as it is the last quarter before learners sit for their final examinations,” it said.