Oprah Defends Her South African Girls School In Wake of Second Scandal
Written by: Karen Benardello
Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey admitted in an interview with the newspaper The Weekend Argus that she has made several mistakes at her elite South African school for girls, but she also said that she remains proud of its success.
The recent expulsion of four girls and suspension of three others was the second scandal to hit the Leadership Academy for Girls, which opened in 2007, and is meant to groom students from deprived backgrounds. A dorm matron is also currently on trial for abuse and sexual assault.
"I have made several mistakes and one of them was being over-protective of the girls, which has made an impression that he school is isolating them from society," Winfrey told the newspaper.
The South African media reported that the seven girls were accused of trying to force other students into relationships, particularly sexual ones. Though Winfrey herself hasn't commented on the circumstances of their expulsion and suspension, she did say that "Those girls...said they knew they were breaking the rules."
The cases are bad publicity for both the school and Winfrey, who promised former South African President Nelson Mandela to give poor girls a quality education and prepare them for leadership posiions. But "The majority of girls are thriving, really fulling the dream and vision I had," Winfrey is insisting. "They are really exceeding any expectaions I had for them."
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