Learners of Siphokuhle Secondary School at KwaNgema near Piet Retief in Mpumalanga are concerned about the disruption of learning at the school. Schooling at Siphokuhle was brought to a halt following a dispute between the learners, parents and management of the school last month.
The learners and parents are demanding that one of three temporary teachers be permanently employed at the school.
Some learners of the Siphokuhle Secondary School are crying foul as teaching and learning continues to be at halt in their school. They say this will have a negative impact on their studies.
School was brought to a halt after the principal allegedly said the school would only hire teachers who went to study through the Education Department’s bursary.
Some learners and parents are demanding that one of three temporary teachers be permanently employed at the school.
SGB Chairperson, Bhekumuzi Shabalala says, “It’s started with the temporary teachers that are paid by the SGB. The principal called them to her office and told them that they cannot be permanently employed at the school because the department has a contract with the teachers that were trained by the bursary which is Fundza Lushaka. We plead with the department to hire one teacher who is from KwaNgema, this because ever since we do not have a teacher who comes from the area in this school. But we have many residents who are qualified teachers. I cannot say when is the school going to resume.”
It is reported that this issue led to a conflict between the learners, parents and the deputy principal of Siphokuhle.
Teachers affiliated to the South African Democratic Teachers Union allegedly downed tools in solidarity with the deputy principal.
One of the Grade 12 learners, Simphiwe Shabalala has called on the education department to urgently intervene and resolve this matter.
“It is really affecting us because ever since it started we are struggling to learn. We have tried to learn online, but it is hard to do so because some of us don’t have smartphones or data. We are now about to write June exams, but we learnt nothing. Some of us wanted to use these marks to apply, but we cannot because we have learnt nothing for this term. We have not finished writing first term examinations.”
The Department of Education has denied that schools were instructed to only hire teachers who studied through its bursaries.
Spokesperson for the Education Department, Gerald Sambo says, “When there are vacancies at schools they are advertised and the qualifying candidates are shortlisted. They are then invited for interviews and then the SGB makes recommendations to the (delegated) official for approval.”
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