Pretoria - The conclusion of the independent investigation by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will hopefully put to bed concerns about slow transformation at Cornwall Hill College in Pretoria.
The private school, located in Irene, Centurion, came under the spotlight after the alleged preferential selection of learners in a school play.
The uproar arose after mainly white learners were allegedly cast in the leading roles of the school play, titled Come Fly With Me, while black learners were relegated to the chorus.
Concerned parents said they were worried that the school did not understand the subtle inferences certain decisions had on the learners at the school, and that the school management and board were responsible for the continued divisions.
Despite these concerns, the school has insisted that it was still making progress with its transformation agenda.
The SAHRC, which announced in July 2021 that it would be launching an investigation into allegations of racism at the school, reported that its investigation were in its final stages.
“The SAHRC is in the process of consolidating all the responses and preparing the findings.”
The probe by the human rights body came after a peaceful protest that took place at the school in May 2021 by black pupils and their parents who called for diversity and transformation at the school.
The Human Rights Commission subsequently met the leadership of the school and agreed to conduct further investigations into the school’s environment and culture by interviewing pupils, staff, management, the board of directors and parents.
The parties further agreed that once the commission had gained data, it would make recommendations for any necessary adjustments at the school; to lend its assistance to the school in reviewing its policies, and to implement a code of conduct for learners.
They also wanted the commission to provide the school with access to teaching toolkits for the school to use within its diversity programme as part of its advocacy intervention; and for the commission to offer mediation and negotiation services to the school and its stakeholders to help facilitate a faster resolution of issues that needed to be reviewed.
The school, in turn, indicated that it remained committed to transformation and diversity at the school and promised to continue to report on its progress.
Headmaster Greg Theron said the school management was relieved to hear that the SAHRC would be concluding its investigation following the submissions they had made in June last year.
Theron said the release of the comprehensive document was important as it highlighted the significant progress made by the community in addressing some of the issues of its past where necessary.
The headmaster explained that transformation formed part of the three arms of the school’s strategy, and that a number of developments had already taken place in the new year to this effect.
In terms of transformation, Theron said the school was planning to implement a cultural sensitivity programme for senior students later in the year, and had already commenced with a personal mastery course for staff.
In addition, the voice of students and the Student Executive Council had been heard, especially in matters of strategy and operations of the school, with a strict policy of “zero tolerance on all social injustice to be implemented”.
Theron said that research had also begun on the cultural identity of the school and how this interacted with the national symbols, structure and history.
“We are investigating whether it is feasible to introduce another indigenous language to our present offering of English, Afrikaans and Sepedi,” he said.
“We look forward to the SAHRC approaching us about these and the opportunity of dialogue with them that this represents.
“Cornwall Hill College is a highly successful and significant school that serves a diverse community and provides appropriate opportunities to all students in a world that is changing socially, economically, environmentally and technologically.”
Pretoria News