School Valentine’s dance turns into riot
Police had to use rubber bullets to disperse children.
A Valentine’s Day dance at a well-known Roodepoort high school went pear-shaped after the event was cancelled, because the DJ was allegedly drinking.
A concerned parent of a Grade 11 learner said her daughter phoned her at about 8.30pm, saying she must come and fetch her as it was chaos at the school. Her parents rushed to the school to find that some learners, a teacher and parents were being prevented from leaving the property. Meanwhile, outside, a group of about 60 angry learners was blocking the road, throwing rocks and cussing at passers-by. Roodepoort Police had to be called to get the situation under control. The police had to resort to firing rubber bullets into the air in order for the children to disperse, said the concerned mother.
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The school allegedly sternly warned beforehand that there would be a zero tolerance policy towards alcohol at the event, and that it would be cancelled if anyone was caught drinking. The concerned mother also told the Record that the event was inadequately chaperoned, with just one teacher and a few parents overseeing hundreds of learners.
The Record is in the process of obtaining comment from the Gauteng Department of Education.
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