Social Injustices that transpire at George Randell High School.

This is a petition regarding incremental social injustices that transpire at George Randell High School. It's aim is to raise awareness amongst the public, parents, past and most importantly present pupils on what the school entails and attain the permanent end of these social injustices.

We ask you to sign this petition to show the Department of Basic Education from the Eastern Cape the urgency of this matter.

The social injustices that transpire at George Randell High School are as follows:

●Racism: There have been a lot of occassions which occured at the school when a teacher reprimanded black learners about their hair, both males and females. These hairstyles varied from Afro's and said that they should be styled properly and a fade haircut.

Some intances were a teacher saying(referring to a black teacher) "Mrs.*the name of the teacher* is too long, why would she have such a long name?"
The Bill of rights coherently states it is illegal to do such.

●No extra-curriculum activities nor sport: The school has no activities such as netball, cricket, rugby, tennis, hockey, athletics, cross-country, swimming, soccer, or any other sport a school should have. If there are any, mediocre investment is invested.e.g inadequate coaches, no sport tournamwnts attended, no sport tournaments at the school,etc.

No Arts and Cultural activities such as choir, chess, debate, marimba, drama, poetry, karate and dance.

Other: no camps, outings, leadership camps, activities to expose the learners to something different and conducive to stimulate the mind, groom and guide the school learners.

There is no sport attire and it has been said the reason behind this is because the school does not have money.

The school approximitely generates the following:
R.480,000 per month.
R.5,760,000 per year.
R.23,040,000 over the past 3 years.
R.34,560,000 over the past 6 years.

With an addition of R.40,000 from the payments of the matric farewell.

In order for a learner to attend the matric farewell, they have to pay R.400 and an addition of R.270 for a date, if it is external. The amount was due to be paid from the 31st of March - 2 April 2020.
Due to the CoronaVirus, events have been cancelled with the Grade12 Matric Farewell.
The school refuses to refund the matriculants.

●Inadequate Education: Grades 10-12 have no Physical Science Teacher.

The Grade 11 Mathematical Literacy Class:
At the beginnkmg of the year, a teacher was forced to teach the subject. A subject she does not conprehend and was unable to articulate to the learners. Which resulted in learners anxious of accummulating inadequate marks.

On the 23rd of July 2020, the President announced the National Lockdown. Institutions and facilities were closed. Schools were closed for 3 months and when these learners returned to school, the problem was the same if not worse. There was no grade 11 Mathematical Literacy teacher. From the 13th of July 2020 - 24th of July 2020. On 2 August 2020, the school would've resumed the Test Series but due to the President's announcement on the 24th July regarding the closing of schools, that did not transpire. The major questions are, with lack of education:
What were the learners going to write on that paper?
Were they going to accummulate adequate marks to apply for tertiary education?

●Under the CoronaVirus Vicissitude:
From the 13th July 2020 - 24 July 2020. Learners were given a timetable entailing  their subjects and a teacher who would be teaching that subject. It's quite coherent the timetable was a façade because no adequate learning took place. Lessons were supervision throughout this period, teachers were absent and there was a lot of ambiguity. School starts at 07:30 am - 14:30 pm. Throughout these 7 hours, learners were exposed to any form of teaching in one or two subjects throughout the entire day.

A learner was tested positive, the school released a letter alerting parents and scholars about this 2 days a after it occured.

The effects of the virus are detrimental and crucial to the lives of anyone nearby the virus. Learners teachers could've been infected, or even worse, die.

●Unequality:
George Randell High School has 2 Afrikaans classes and one IsiXhosa class. When a learner is in Grade 8, they get a choice to choose either Afrikaans or IsiXhosa for their high school career. Learners who want to do IsiXhosa are forced to do a language foreign to them,which is Afrikaans.
The only way they can do their Home-Language, which is IsiXhosa is by failing and repeating a grade. These learners are deprived from their right of doing a language of their choice and endure detrimental and excruciating pain.

May we attain what we want to achieve and all attend a school that entails equality and an adequate education. A school that we are all proud of. A school that offers and accommodates each and every learner with his/her own genius. A school we will always give honour and glory to wherever we locate. A school we will one day restrospect on and never forget the greatness it entailed.

With the wise words of Kwame Nkruma and Patrice Lubumba:
"The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart. Together, my brothers, my sisters, we are going to begin a new struggle, a sublime struggle, which will lead our country to peace, prosperity, and greatness. Together, we are going to establish social justice and make sure everyone has just remuneration for his labour. We are going to make of the Congo the cebtre of the sun's radiance for all Africa. We are going to keep watch over the lands of our country so that they truly profit her children. We are going to restore ancient laws and make new ones which will be just and noble. We are going to put an end to suppression of free thought and see to it that all our citizens enjoy to the full the fundamental liberties foreseen in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. We are going to do away with all discrimination and assure for each and all the position to which human dignity, work, and dedication entitles him. We are going to rule not by the peace of guns and bayonets but by a peace of the heart and the will. And for all of that, dear fellow countrymen, be sure that we will count not only on our enormous strength and immense riches but on the assistance of numerous foreign countries whose collaboration we will accept if it is offered freely and with no attempt to impose on us an alien culture of no matter what nature"

Thank you.

Anonymous    Contact the author of the petition