Curro retracts post depicting racial stereotypes

By: Natasha Archary

Curro stereotypes — Image: Curro Holdings

Curro Holdings has retracted a post depicting racial stereotypes after receiving backlash on social media.

In the post, the private school showcased children in a number of careers, however, there was an uproar over Curro’s messaging and what the school was trying to imply.

While white children were dressed as vets, the picture of a black child playing the role of a cashier at a supermarket caused a racial divide on social media and sparked a heated debate.

“Why can’t the brown skinned child be set on a professional role or position like the other kids? What you’re portraying here is not healthy and doesn’t embrace hope.”

“Curro is not even trying to pretend.”

“What always baffles me in cases like this is that marketing materials go through various points of approval before being made public. At no point in that chain, did somebody at Curro say ‘this is racist’?”
Comments on social media slammed Curro for a post depicting racial stereotypes

On Monday, 01 April Curro retracted the post and said an internal process would be followed to prevent similar “errors” in the future.

“Curro Holdings acknowledges that a post we published on social media portraying children in various workplace contexts was offensive due to the inappropriate stereotypes it depicted.

The post was in error and has been deleted.

Curro reiterates its commitment to diversity and non-racialism in our schools.”
Curro on the post depicting racial stereotypes

This isn’t the first time Curro has been embroiled in racial allegations, and in August 2023 a teacher alleged that she was spoken to in a derogatory and discriminatory manner by a senior staff member.

In 2015, a video of Grade 1 learners disembarking a bus and being separated into lines according to race was brought to the attention of the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi.

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