The Democratic Alliance welcomes the findings by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) into allegations of racism at Dr. Viljoen Combined School in the Free State.

The HRC has found that a number of teachers were racially abusing pupils.

It is a disgrace that children at a public school in a democratic South Africa can be exposed to insults and racist abuse by teachers. The department must implement the recommendations in the report and educate  the teachers at this school to treat all pupils with dignity. But crucially, the teachers found guilty of racism must be fired and barred from ever teaching again.

Public schools should be places of quality education, where children are taught the value of human dignity.

The guilty teachers must be removed from the system. We cannot allow such destructive individuals to influence our children.