The chairman of the Parliament’s portfolio committee on basic education, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, expressed concern over a bullying incident in which a grade 8 student at a school in Cape Town was caught on camera train to set a comrade’s hair on fire.

The incident took place at Belgravia High School in Athlone, Cape Town.

The video, which circulated on social media, showed a girl sitting in class and making fun of a boy who poured liquid on her head and set her hair on fire, laughing. In the video, the teacher appears to have walked out of the classroom.

Mbinqo-Gigaba said all learners should be made familiar with anti-bullying policies and their consequences if they don’t follow them.

“This boy’s bullying behavior also put the life of this learner, as well as the lives of other learners, by setting the girl’s hair on fire.

In addition, last month we experienced the horrific effects of bullying when a Limpopo student took her own life after videos of her being slammed by grade 10 classmates were shared on social media. . code of conduct or an anti-bullying policy, they should urgently address this issue, ”the president said in a statement on Friday.

Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Western Cape Education Department confirmed that the learner was suspended after the video became public.

She also urged education authorities across the country to ensure that those involved in bullying are made to face the consequences of their actions.

“Education is a social problem [and] therefore, the responsibility for the safety of learners does not lie only with education authorities, but with everyone. I want to urge parents and caregivers to also take on this responsibility of educating learners about bullying and its devastating consequences, ”said Mbinqo-Gigaba.

She said the committee was planning a monitoring visit to schools across the province in the near future.

(With contributions from the South African government press release)