LEARNERS and teaching staff from Leiden High School were blocked from entering the school premises by protesters yesterday.

This comes as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and community members came out in solidarity with a 14-year-old boy who was dumped head-first in a toilet bowl full of human waste last month.

On 31 January, a Grade 8 learner at Leiden High School was subjected to bullying by four boys in the toilets, with one of the laaities smearing faeces on the 14-year-old’s face and uniform.

The protesters are calling for immediate action from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), including disciplinary action against the school principal, Mr Jasper, and dissolution of the School Governing Body (SGB) and the expulsion of the perpetrators involved.

Community member and sub-regional task member for the EFF, Khanyiso Fodo, says: “The motivation of the protest is to get justice for the learner.

“We would like to achieve our demands, which include, but are not limited to the removal of a school principal as we believe he didn’t deal with the matter properly.

“It’s not the first time we came to school. We have been dealing with this issue from day one. The department of education is not taking our concerns seriously.”

WCED spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, said that allegations this was a racially-motivated attack is unsubstantiated at this stage.

Hammond says: “It is only the Head of Department of the WCED who can expel a learner.

“Secondly, the SGB has conducted a  disciplinary hearing and has in fact, recommended expulsion for these learners. This was submitted to the WCED on Friday. The HOD will now have the opportunity to apply his mind.

“There are no grounds to charge the principal or dissolve the SGB. Procedures were  followed.”

Although the traumatised laaitie has been transferred to another school, the family said that the matter has left him shaken.

A relative says: “He gets hot flashes and we are looking to take him to the doctor, because this matter has affected him badly.”