Controversy at Curro: Teacher Fired for Classroom Incident Speaks Out

Kavitha Reddy, the former head of life sciences at Curro Vanderbijlpark in South Africa, recently broke her silence regarding her dismissal in March 2023 following a classroom incident where she asked a student to stop laughing ‘like an idiot’. This development comes in the wake of another controversy at Curro Academy Protea Glen in Soweto, where a Black English and history teacher was fired after being racially abused by a former white executive head.

According to a report by News24, Reddy was summoned before a disciplinary hearing and ultimately found guilty of misconduct related to the incident that occurred in a Grade 11 class on February 16, 2023. Her behavior during the incident, deemed ‘unbecoming of an educator’, led to her termination.

Reacting to her dismissal for the first time, Reddy expressed her belief that the decision to fire her was ‘utterly unfair’. The situation has sparked conversations around disciplinary measures and conduct expectations within educational institutions like Curro.

Social media platforms saw a variety of responses to Reddy’s case, with users questioning the consistency and fairness of disciplinary actions at Curro. Some drew parallels to their own schooling experiences, while others debated the challenges faced by teachers in dealing with student behavior and maintaining authority in the classroom.

Reports from previous months also highlighted a separate incident at Curro Academy Protea Glen, where Nonkululeko Gwatyu, a teacher, faced dismissal over alleged reasons of tardiness and taking leave. This added layer of controversy further underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding disciplinary actions and workplace dynamics at Curro institutions.