Johannesburg - The Independent school that used a cartoon ridiculing President Jacob Zuma in a class test has apologised.
The principal apologised when officials from the Gauteng Department of Education went to the school to investigate on Monday, according to spokesman Oupa Bodibe.
He said the principal had indicated that there was no malice intended on the part of the Grade 6 teacher involved.
“Given that the matter had largely been viewed as insensitive, offensive and distasteful by the public, the school principal has apologised sincerely for any hurt or distress caused,’ Bodibe said.
He said, however, that the investigation would not be dropped even after the school promised not to use cartoons like that in the future.
The school had used a drawing done by cartoonist Zapiro, real name Jonathan Shapiro, depicting Zuma with a shower head floating in a pool of money and having a drink.
The first question asked who the man in the picture was, while the second one asked if the pupils would vote for the person, based on the picture.
To the second question, the pupil answered: “No I wouldn't because he looks way too stupid to think about others and he's swimming in money, which shows he is selfish when it comes to money.”
Next to the answer was a “Good”, supposedly written by the teacher using a red pen. The question paper was for Grade 6 English visual literacy.
A parent alerted Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi about the cartoon, and he asked the independent schools directorate within the department to investigate the matter.
On his Facebook page, Lesufi promised to take decisive action against the school.
Speaking to The Star earlier this week, he said he was unhappy about the cartoon because this was an election season and the cartoon would influence pupils negatively. Local elections are to be held in August.
Bodibe said although the school was independent, it followed the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (Caps), like public schools.
“The question regarding whether learners would vote for the individual depicted in the cartoon could be viewed as being sensitive to Caps requirements if it does not influence the thinking of the learner,” Bodibe said.
He said that once the investigation was concluded, the department would let parents know.
Bodibe urged schools to be sensitive when setting tests and exams.
The Star