Brackenfell High School has been embroiled in a race scandal after a matric event was held and attended white students only.
The controversy first surfaced on social media where a video was shared, showing white students arriving at the red-carpet function.
On Facebook, Ivan Simmers, who has a daughter at the school, said that the school hosted a matric farewell only for their white students while non-white pupils were not informed, nor invited to the event.
“My daughter is friends with some learners from the school and that is how I found out about this,” he wrote.
“The school distanced itself, saying the event was organised by parents yet the school’s name was used which makes the school complicit.
“Learners were segregated by colour and that is unacceptable.”
A learner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says he only heard about the event from his school mates.
“It was a school function that replaced the cancelled matric ball. None of the black learners were informed about it and we only saw pictures,” he says.
“No one really asked what was happening, we just carried on with life because that is normal.”
The learner pointed out that teachers were also present.
“If it was just learners organising the event, they would have attended by themselves, but there were teachers there,” he added.
The Daily Voice called the school and the receptionist transferred the call to a man who said is the principal.
“The school was not involved in the organising and planning of the event. It was a private event and we were not involved,” he said.
Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the claims are false as the school did not hold a matric ball due to lockdown regulations.
“The information being spread on social media is false. Due to the pandemic, the school did not have a matric ball/dance this year,” she sad.
“We are aware that a private event – which was not organised by the school – was held.
“Two educators were invited to the event and attended as guests.”
Neither the school nor the department would reply to the question why all the students who attended the event were white learners.