Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town has spoken out following a bullying scandal that saw a learner at the school hospitalised, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: Bishops learner hospitalised following boarding residence attack
The attack was allegedly orchestrated by two matric pupils who instructed a group of five boys to take action, reports News24.
In a letter to parents on Wednesday, Bishops’ principal Tony Reeler confirmed the ‘shocking late-night’ incident at one of the school’s boarding houses.
Reeler stated that seven students had been charged with violating the school’s code of conduct following the incident at Founders boarding home.
‘These actions were also in breach of our anti-bullying policy,’ the letter reads.
‘The dreadful incident sadly resulted in the short-term hospitalisation of one of the boys. Thankfully he was discharged after two days, and our understanding is that he is well on the way to a full recovery. Support was immediately made available to the pupils in the boarding house. In particular, we are supporting the pupil who was hospitalised and his family.’
Reeler said the school did not usually publicly comment on ‘confidential pupil matters, particularly if they may relate to disciplinary or duty of care issues’. But he said an independent advocate chairing the disciplinary process had ‘recommended the strongest possible sanctions for those found guilty’.
The pupils have been given five days to appeal the decision.
‘I do not want to prejudice this process in any way by commenting further on details of the assault or the ongoing appeals process, suffice to say any form of bullying or physical violence has absolutely no place at Bishops, and the conduct of the perpetrators here is condemned in the strongest possible terms, no matter what their role or intention.’
He stated that ‘anti-bullying messages had been conveyed innumerable times with the students and staff at Bishops, making this appalling abuse of the trust placed in senior children in particular so difficult to understand and process.’
‘I want to assure the Bishops community that the school will be introducing additional security measures in each boarding house to improve safeguarding with immediate effect, and will be initiating an independent review of boarding practices and procedures within the next 30 days,’ the letter reads.
‘How we respond to this dreadful and shocking incident will help us ensure this is the last time Bishops has to share news of this nature with our school community. Now is the time to stand together against behaviour of this kind, often justified in the name of ‘tradition’ or the desire to seek justice for a perceived wrongdoing or disrespect.’
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Investigation continues following SACS vs Bishops rugby brawl
Picture: Gallo Images/ER Lombard
