GEORGE - A Grade 1 teacher at Thembalethu Primary School in the Western Cape has been suspended after recording a video of a child who had not participated in a class fundraising initiative.
The fundraising, part of the school’s ‘Pie Day’, asked learners to contribute R40.
Children who participated received a pie and juice.
The video, which was shared in the grade parents’ group, shows the child covering their face while sitting next to a classmate enjoying their pie.
At the end of the clip, the teacher explains that she paid for the child herself after filming.
The Western Cape Education Department confirmed the teacher has been temporarily suspended pending an investigation.
The video sparked outrage in the community, with parents protesting outside the school and calling for disciplinary action.
Following the incident, influencer Mandisi Tshingana raised over R30,000 for the child.