Pietermaritzburg school girl d

Pietermaritzburg school girl dies after allegedly being told by staff to “sleep off” head injury

Some are saying the death shows negligence on the part of the school.

Pietermaritzburg school girl d

Pietermaritzburg Girls High School (GHS) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this year. A recording of a white learner using the K word to describe classmates gathered national attention, the school was also criticised by learners for attempting to cover up the schools’ racist side.

Listen: Fury after racist incident rocks Pietermaritzburg school

Pietermaritzburg Girls High learner passes away

The South African has learned the alleged details around the death of a Grade 9 learner on Thursday afternoon. Concerned and angry learners from the same boarding house of the deceased have revealed that the girl hit her head in the shower on Thursday morning. On Wednesday night she was also seen vomiting by peers. The girl then went to seek medical attention from the sister on duty as she was “feeling weak”. The sister then allegedly told her to “sleep it off” and gave her a panado.

UPDATE: After speaking to more boarding students, The South African has heard that the girl was sick the night before and vomiting, she then slipped and fell in the shower in the early hours of the morning. She was unable to talk and walk and her friends had to carry her to the matron, the matron then allegedly told her to wait for the sister who was set to come to work in the next few hours. According to her friends, the girl was still not talking clearly or able to walk at this time. These learners say that the girl was in clear need of a hospital.

She was then found dead later that afternoon. Boarders were sent home from Thursday night and the school has closed for Friday after confirming the death.

NOTICE: We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our boarders this afternoon. We extend our sincerest sympathies to her family during this time.

Posted by Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School on Thursday, August 17, 2017

So, is there potential negligence involved?

So why are learners so furious with that alleged response from the matron and sister on duty? The learners we spoke to emphasised that even with the girl’s symptoms the night before, it was clear that she needed serious medical attention.

While the school is telling a different story to the learners, their outcry is fully understandable if their allegations are correct. If your child was a school boarder who hit their head, couldn’t talk and had to be carried would you be happy with the alleged “sleep it off” answer?

Like all stories, this one seems to have two very different sides.

The school’s governing body has released a statement stating that the girl received “immediate” medical attention from the school. You can read that statement below.

Official statement from GHS Governing Body.

Posted by Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School on Friday, August 18, 2017