Officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department will tomorrow meet with learners from Centenary Secondary School as authorities seek to address the violent clashes that erupted within and outside the school premises this week.

The incident, which was captured in viral videos highlighting chaotic scenes outside the Asherville institution, has drawn attention not only locally but also from international media, fuelling concerns about underlying racial tensions between Indian and African pupils.

Three pupils were reportedly stabbed and hospitalised after the clashes.

Provincial spokesperson for the Department of Education, Muzi Mahlambi, said the fight among pupils was believed to have originated from an "alleged act of initiation that went wrong".

"It is alleged that a Grade 8 boy was forced to consume a powdery substance by Grade 9 boys. The parent of the Grade 8 boy claims her son was being extorted for money. This is a version that has been relayed to us which needs to be investigated," he said.

A meeting held on Friday with parents, school management, and education officials resulted in an agreement that all pupils would return to school on Monday to provide their perspectives on the troubling events.

Parents expressed heightened concerns regarding the safety and security of their children, which will be central to the ongoing investigation led by the head of the department.

"There was nothing racial. The issues of race came as a result of the viral videos. The incident that happened was just boys being boys that turned ugly and graduated to something else. Our focus is on the bigger picture of bringing order to the school and fostering social cohesion. No disciplinary action has been taken against any learner," said Mahlambi.

A parent of a Grade 10 pupil at the school said she was happy with the outcome of Friday's meeting.

"Learners will only be given an opportunity to engage with the department on Monday. There is an ongoing investigation regarding what happened this week and what caused it. There will be a follow-up meeting with parents. Children are also going to be provided counselling by psychologists for the trauma. Our children's education and safety is what is important," she said.

The mother said it was not a racial issue as it was made out to be.

"This is a delicate matter that needs to be dealt with to move forward. There should be social cohesion programmes at school. We don't want any tension between the different race, religious or cultural groups at school," she said.

She added that the governing body needed to be dissolved and a new group elected, adding that the current body was not acting as a link between parents and the school.

Nonku Radebe, an Overport resident, said the videos circulating were insinuating that African people were animals and barbaric.

"These comments were based on hearsay and not facts about what happened. We live in a community with different races and people of different cultural and religious beliefs. We should not be fuelling and perpetuating hate speech," said Radebe.

Prem Ganasparsadh, a Asherville community activist, said the community at large was concerned by the hate speeches.

"We are worried about the safety of the children. As a community we all need to look at how to move forward and resolve the issues," said Ganasparsadh.