A Centurion pre-school is under investigation after a photo of a black girl who appeared to have been separated from white children was circulated online, the Gauteng education department said.
MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the pre-school yesterday.
His spokesperson Oupa Bodibe said Lesufi had asked the district to conduct a formal investigation.
The 19-month-old baby’s mother posted the picture on Facebook. It shows the girl sitting alone, while white children sit at another table.
“My beautiful 19-month-year old is made to sit on a table by herself whilst the rest of her class sits cosy on the table next to her, indulging on delectable spread and my poor child sits with just her lunch tin [sic],” she wrote.
“They say a picture says a thousand words…for me this picture spoke damaging horrible words that in my 34 years of existence never experienced in the 3 continents I’ve resided in. I was livid and outraged when the school sent this to me."
The girl was removed from the school.
“I have never been so livid, outraged, disappointed in all my life. I can’t help but think what kind of people can subject such hate to a mere 19-month-year old child. As a mother I feel I have failed my child considerably by failing to see this from the onset,” she said.
