Crawford International says a substitute teacher who was filmed writing racist terms on a whiteboard while teaching pupils at its Pretoria college has been dismissed and reported to the SA Council for Educators.

The private education group said it will also take legal action against the 82-year-old substitute teacher.

Video footage shows the woman writing racially offensive terms on a whiteboard and allegedly telling pupils that they are not affected by apartheid. 

The children can be heard gasping as she writes and speaks, "This can't be," one pupil said while other children could be seen filming the words on the whiteboard.

According to initial reports, the woman was teaching provocative language during an English class on Monday and allegedly told pupils they must not be hurt when racially offensive terms were used because they were not affected by apartheid.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Education has confirmed that the school fired the teacher later that day as Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane condemned the incident, saying the teacher was promoting racism.

"It is distasteful to see individuals with whom we have entrusted the education of our children using that valuable time to push their own villainous agendas and poison the minds of our learners, we therefore condemn, in the strongest sense, the behaviour of this educator and any others who may want to behave in such an unpalatable manner," Chiloane said.

The department applauded the efforts by the school to provide counselling to the pupils and review its recruitment measures to avoid enlisting candidates who may potentially threaten the delivery of quality education and learning.

Crawford International - Pretoria principal, Cheryl Naidoo, said the school denounced any form of prejudice and discrimination.