A division within the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape reportedly wants to create a database with the names of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) learners.
The Democratic Alliance described the database as draconian, irregular, irresponsible, irregular and unconstitutional.
DA Shadow MEC for Education, Edmund Van Vuuren cited an email sent to schools around the province.
Van Vuuren said the Special Programmes Unit Head Office instructed schools to provide them with a list of all LGBTI learners from their schools. According to the email, the data is for an imminent workshop to raise awareness of LGBTI rights.
The workshop is expected to take place at the end of October with only ten learners who will be selected to attend.
Van Vuuren said the creation of a database of learners belonging to the LGBTI community is an infringement on the privacy of the lifestyles of these learners and, in the wrong hands, could very easily result in physical harm.
In a climate where corrective rape and assault based on sexual preference is commonplace, we cannot afford to expose members of this community to further risk and discrimination, Van Vuuren said.
The DA said it had no problem with the holding of the workshop for advocacy purposes, however, it would have been proper to have invited representatives from Learner Representative Councils from schools within the districts.
-African News Agency (ANA),
