When schools become sites of sorrow: A mother’s plea for our children in Gauteng

Each time I read another statement about a pupil dying at school, my heart sinks a little deeper. It is devastating to see young lives cut short, whether due to negligence, poor infrastructure, violence or sudden illness. No child should lose their life in a place meant to nurture dreams.

No parent should have to bury her young.

As a mother, I cannot shake the thought of receiving that call. The one that begins with: “There has been an incident.”

We send our children to school believing it is a safe haven. We trust teachers, we trust systems, we trust that when we say goodbye at the gate, we will say hello again in the afternoon.

But lately, in Gauteng, that trust feels shaken.

Reagile Primary: A life lost during break

On 16 February 2026, MEC Matome Chiloane was “deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a 10-year-old Grade 5 boy learner from Reagile Primary School, in the Winnie Mandela area of Tembisa.”

According to the department, the incident “reportedly occurred during second break” when pupils were playing around soccer posts and “a goal post reportedly fell on the learner, resulting in severe injuries”.

Paramedics arrived within 20 minutes.

“Despite all efforts to resuscitate the learner, he sadly succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on the scene.”

I read that and imagined his mother. Did she pack his lunch that morning? Did she remind him to behave in class? Did she know it would be the last time she saw him alive?

Investigations after tragedy

This is not an isolated case.

Furthermore, a Grade R boy student from Bernard Isaacs Primary School in Coronationville tragically lost his life earlier in February after sustaining injuries on school premises.

According to reports, the young boy was left unattended. He attempted to climb out of a classroom window, got stuck and suffocated.

The GDE appointed an independent investigative law firm to probe the circumstances surrounding the boy.

The department said the purpose is “to establish the full facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.”

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The department also reported the death of a Grade 12 pupil at Vosloorus Comprehensive Secondary School, who allegedly fell ill during afternoon study earlier this month.

Furthermore, in November 2025, a girl in Grade 12 died after a chaotic incident at Schaumburg Combined School in Hartbeespoort, where students were struck by a bus.

The department said it was “saddening that such a chaotic outburst led to the unfortunate passing of a learner”.

Yes, investigations matter. Accountability matters. But so does prevention.

Anxiety that lingers

When the GDE says it is “deeply saddened” and conveys its “heartfelt condolences”, I believe the pain is real. But condolences cannot be the recurring headline of our education system.

Week in and week out, these stories intensify our fears. Parents become anxious; they become hyper-alert. We imagine the worst when the school number flashes on our phones.

We can sympathise with the families who have lost their children. We can stand beside them. But we will never truly understand the depth of their grief unless we have walked that path ourselves.

Schools must be sanctuaries. Until they truly are, many of us will keep sending our children off each morning with a silent prayer – and a heavy heart.

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