One of the nation’s leading state schools is examining the origin of “offending, painful racist remarks” tagging its black students on social networks. Westerford High School in Rondebosch, Cape Town, held a conference with grade 8 students on Thursday to supply counselling to those impacted or traumatised by the posts on Instagram. “The school is examining the source of the post. It does not originate from a main school account. It is uncertain if the account was hacked or if it did stem from a student at the school. The posts originated from one source,” stated Western Cape education department representative Bronagh Hammond on Friday. “The school has actually condemned the remarks and distanced itself from its material.” The school published a notification on Instagram previously today, stating the posts were “connected to a grade 8 class which contain incredibly offending, painful racist remarks. “We are handling the matter with the greatest seriousness under our standard procedure. The class worried has actually been e-mailed, advising that the administrator close this Instagram account instantly– that is, naturally, if the administrator remains in that class. If the administrator remains in the larger body of the school, then the direction is the very same,” stated primary Mark Smith in the notification. “We are utilizing every opportunity to discover the person/s accountable and after that will follow the complete disciplinary procedure.” Smith included the school condemned any inequitable, racist remark or act and would “handle such offenses most seriously” when they developed. Hammond stated if the account was hacked, the school would require to consider what action can be taken versus the criminal. If a student was included, disciplinary action would be set up. “The school has actually reported it to the Film and Publication Board also,” she included. TimesLIVE
Leading school probes ‘offending, painful racist remarks’ on social networks
