Punish insensitive teacher

In today's edition we report about a five-year-old boy who was sent home from school for wearing worn out shoes.

The Grade R pupil was apparently chased away by one of the teachers at the Dr Knak Primary School in Alexandra for not wearing a proper school uniform.

“I was at work when I was informed that my son has been sent back from school. I’m not sure if he was chased away right at the gate or he was already inside the school premises. But one of the teachers told him to go back because he was wearing worn out shoes. I did not like what they did to my son. It really hurt me,” the mother said.

The mom told this publication she could not afford to buy shoes after she bought a pair that did not fit earlier in the year.  Her neighbour had given her the worn out pair.

There was outrage when the incident hit social media at the weekend, which led to good Samaritans offering to assist the family. By yesterday, the boy had a new uniform and his family had also received groceries. We welcome the help from the public – it is an affirmation of the spirit of ubuntu that makes us South Africans.

However, the education department must investigate the incident and ensure the teacher who humiliated the boy is brought to book. How can you send a child home because he is wearing an old pair of shoes? It is not his fault that he comes from a family of limited means.

What the teacher did violated the pupil's right to education as enshrined in the constitution. Section 29 (1) requires government to make basic education available and accessible to everyone – but the pupil was sent home because his family was too poor to buy him a pair of school shoes.

We call on the department to ensure that those involved in this incident are punished. The department should also introduce campaigns in schools that teach educators to be sensitive to pupils from less fortunate homes. They deserve love and kindness like all other children.