Prayer, grief over 130 pupils’ results
MANZINI – Parents of Phumelele International School pupils are praying that the Manzini REO may ensure the release of their children’s examination results.
In the event that this does not happen, the parents have requested the Manzini Regional Education Office (REO) to make the school reimburse them the examination fees.
These prayers were made during a meeting between parents and the REO at the latter’s premises last week. The meeting follows a parents’ meeting, which was convened at the former Phumelele International School, now Cebisa Christian Academy, at Eteteni in Matsapha, on the Saturday March 23.
The Saturday meeting was deemed unsuccessful by parents, who decried the absence of the school director. It had been convened after this publication published that the Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) had disqualified the results of over 130 pupils who sat the Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education (EGCSE) examinations at Phumelele last year. The Eteteni-based private school was investigated for alleged malpractice, following the leaking of certain components of the papers. According to the summary results, the school attained a 58.54 per cent pass rate. About 130 candidates reportedly sat for the exams at the centre and the matter is currently being handled by the courts.
Meanwhile, during the meeting with the REO last week, the parents stated that their children were traumatised by the confusion surrounding the school’s results. They informed the REO that the school was seemingly clueless on the future of their children after their results were withheld. The emotional parents shared how they were helpless as they watched their children suffer from depression at home.
“My child has been traumatised by this whole ordeal. She keeps on asking me if she will eventually be a domestic worker, after schooling all these years. Unfortunately, I do not have the answers,” a sobbing parent said.
Persistently
Another parent said his child had developed anxiety and stress as she persistently asked when her results would be released. He mentioned that the much awaited results would give them a roadmap on the subjects his child needed to rewrite.
“Our children just do not want to go back to that school because they are not sure of what will happen. They are just traumatised,” said another parent.
The parents reported that they were against their children attending the same school. This is after the school told parents to bring their children to school during the Saturday meeting.
“We want nothing else but the release of the results, REO. We feel the school has not been giving the matter the urgency it deserves, and so we pin our hopes on you to address the matter,” they said.