Non-governmental organisation the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) said on Friday that government, particularly the Department of Education, must ensure that it recognises that racist events that occurred at Pretoria Girls’ High School and Pinelands High School are not isolated incidents, but rather manifestations of a larger systemic problem.

Twelve Pretoria Girls High School learners have been suspended for alleged racial utterances, micro-aggressions and complaints about African pupils, which were shared through a WhatsApp group consisting of only white pupils.

In the Western Cape, an incident occurred at Pinelands High School with a video posted on social media that seemed to show African learners placed in a cage and "sold on auction".

The organisation noted that the recent events are indicative of a larger societal problem that cannot be ignored.

“It is not enough to sanction the children and expect them to change. Besides punitive measures, we also need to follow restorative processes to allow perpetrators to understand the impact of their actions and for victims to be heard and given the opportunity to heal,” said the IJR.

The IJR wants diversity training to be introduced in schools, working with teachers and parents and to allow for differences to ensure that the dignity of all learners is respected and upheld.

It noted that the advent of a democratic government did not erase 400 years of slavery, colonialism and apartheid.

“The expectation that the ‘Born Free’ generation would be free from the stains of the past was unrealistic, given the wounds inflicted on our society. In addition, we have not dismantled the institutions and systems of oppression (neither racism nor patriarchy) that are embedded in them. The failure to do this means that we are replicating the very system from which we are trying to move away,” IJR explained.

It pointed out that in society, much more needed to be done at the individual, family and community levels to create a non-racial society.

Children mimic what they hear and see in their environment, and more needs to be done to ensure that we do not tolerate intolerance and bigotry, the IJR said.

“…this starts at the individual level (becoming aware of our unconscious biases and prejudices) and moves to the family and communal levels (not tolerating racism in our private spaces). We need to hold educational institutions and parents to account for the behaviour of their children,” added the IJR.

The 12 pupils at the Pretoria High School for Girls have since been found not guilty of misconduct during the school's disciplinary hearing.

The Department of Education has expressed disappointment with the outcome, saying the school did not reveal the findings from its disciplinary process and did not share the report.