In a space of just two weeks since the academic year commenced for 2024, the Gauteng Department of Education has reported two tragic deaths of school chilldren – the latest being that of a Grade 6 learner.
The learner, from Modiselle Primary School in Ga-Rankuwa, allegedly fell out of the window of a moving bus on Thursday, 1 February 2024.
A media statement by the department reports that learners were being transported home after school when the little boy fell from the scholar bus and the rear wheels ran over him.
This is the second reported school tragedy in Gauteng, following the death of 12-year-old Latoya Temilton from Laerskool Queenswood. Temilton, who has now been buried back home in Mpumalanga, allegedly drowned during an approved school excursion on the 20th of January 2024. An investigation is underway that will determine exactly what transpired when this loss occurred.
Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the Grade 6 learner and has said that the department will provide psycho-social support to his family and loved ones.
“Indeed, this is terribly saddening news. Scholar transport is an initiative that forms part of our critical interventions to alleviate pressure from parents. As such, we expect our learners to be safely transported from home to school and back home. We call upon drivers to be extra vigilant of learner’s safety. We wish to convey our deepest condolences to the family and the school community,” Chiloane stated in the media statement.
Chiloane will visit the boy’s family tomorrow (3 February) in Ga-Rankuwa and police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
**This is a developing story.