Four months ago, the Free Speech Union of South Africa (FSU SA) wrote a letter warning Western Cape education MEC David Maynier about the potentially detrimental effects on social cohesion and free speech of social justice initiatives at schools.
Then, on 3 November, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) issued a press release alleging that pupils at Fish Hoek High were so traumatised by a ‘diversity course’ on racism and faith that they had to receive counselling.
In a statement yesterday – ‘Fish Hoek High “social justice” saga: we told you so’ – the FSU SA said it had expressed concern in its letter of 4 July ‘that strictures on free speech were increasingly being experienced in schools where Critical Race Theory and Critical Gender Theory were being inserted into curricula’.
Typically, this occurred as a result of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes.
The FSU SA said: ‘CRT’s premise is that white–on-black racism is the normal state of affairs. As such, anything to do with ‘whiteness’ should be identified and ‘dismantled’. Therefore, schools seeking social justice must teach students to focus on the immutable characteristic of a person’s skin colour only.’
The FSU SA pointed out in yesterday’s statement that it ‘supports schools being proactive in tackling discrimination’, and that ‘(creating) school environments free of discrimination and where all members of a school feel a sense of belonging should be a priority’.
However, it warned that, under DEI programmes, ‘Hyper-racialism is routinely taught to schoolchildren of all ages by external consultants and teachers, and is reflected in recommended readings. As a consequence, race relations are bound to suffer.’
The statement said: ‘We appealed to the Western Cape Education Department specifically and the Democratic Alliance generally to reconsider any use of DEI to sensitise students. There are more appropriate ways to deal with incidents of racism et al when they occur. Children are remarkably able in managing their socialisation to good effect without the intrusion of well-meaning adults’.
On 12 July, the FSU SA addressed another letter to the WCED, noting with reference to our original letter that Fish Hoek High School and Rondebosch Boys’ High School were being subjected to the same DEI processes due to allegations of racism.
‘Ms Kelly Mauchline, Mr Maynier’s spokesperson, said she would bring our letter to his attention. We heard nothing further.’
Then, in first week of this month, came news of the controversial event at Fish Hoek High.
About 800 pupils had to attend the session where they were told that ‘only white people can be racist’.
Three officials and six psychologists from the WCED presented this ‘course’. Teachers were not allowed into the session.
‘The presenter was Asanda Ngoasheng, a well-known DEI consultant, but she is controversial. Her biography makes no mention of her being a psychologist. The approach used by many DEI consultants is to berate children on the grounds of their “whiteness”, this being assumed to amount to eternal culpability for the sins of previous generations, for which there is no forgiveness.
‘A pupil who managed to leave the session told a teacher what was happening. The teacher returned with her, but was ordered to leave the hall.
‘The WCED ordered this intervention because earlier this year, in teaching the setwork, Fiela se Kind, a teacher used a word – we have not managed to clarify with certainty what it was – that resulted in some pupils complaining. As a consequence, the WCED charged her with misconduct. She was found not guilty.
‘Regarding the subsequent intervention, the principal was unhappy about holding the session so close to exam time, but was given no choice.’
The FSU SA said: ‘It appears that the WCED has adopted a very illiberal approach to dealing with allegations of racism at schools, despite the FSU SA communicating its misgivings. The FSU SA believes that the processes that the WCED is applying are completely antithetical to the DA’s classically liberal policies.
‘There are other ways of tackling these issues without ruining the confidence of pupils and dividing them on the grounds of race.
‘The FSU SA welcomes Mr Maynier’s commitment to a “review” of the WCED’s approach – which is precisely what was recommended in its letters to the department in recent months. Such a review is now a matter of urgency.’
[Image: Dawikicommonsaccount, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7320834]