It is nine o’clock at a certain secondary school in the township: typical school hours. The school is surrounded by a barbed wire fence that has holes punched in at its various “strategic” points; and the huge dysfunctional iron gate does not work anymore and is therefore unlocked. Apart from the natural blessing of a thorn hedge that seemingly surrounds the school; there are traces of overgrazing throughout the entire yard of the school; in fact, one could easily mistake this school for an abandoned farmhouse.

A Durban high school teacher has landed in hot water over remarks she made in her classroom, comparing her pupils’ behaviour to that of President Jacob Zuma. The incident, for which the Reservoir Hills Secondary School teacher has been given a written warning, happened on Tuesday last week.