Battle over head leaves 2 teachers with 400 kids

Two teachers are faced with teaching 400 pupils.

This bizarre scene is being played out at rural Toisekraal Primary School in Lesseyton 14km from Komani.

Eight teachers, chased from the school by parents and the SGB members in October, are apparently working at other schools.

SGB chair Apollo Mekile claimed that the two teachers had carried on working last year, and managed to get the children through their grades.

Problems at the school started in 2017, when Aaron Mhlontlo was appointed as the new principal, replacing Mayenzeke Mtule, who had been acting in the position for more than two years.

In February 2017, the department of education went to introduce Mhlontlo to the school, but parents and SGB members chased them away, demanding Mtule be made the principal of the school.

This caused divisions between the teachers, and in an outburst in October, the eight teachers and principal were driven away.

The teachers reported to the department of education for a month and were later transferred to other schools around Komani, while the department is still busy trying to sort out the problem.

Mhlontlo has since been told to stay at home on a full salary.

Mekile said they were waiting for the return of Mtule, who has been on a one-month precautionary suspension since December 17.

Mekile said more pupils were registering at the school.

He said the two teachers and Mtule managed to issue reports and help the children write exams last year.

Attempts to reach Mtule for comment were unsuccessful.

Mhlontlo said they’d had a positive meeting with a new department of education official in the Chris Hani West district, who apparently only learned about the crisis last Monday.

Provincial education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said: “We would like to assure parents that the school will soon be back to normal as the department is doing all in its power to resolve the situation at the school.”

Mtima said there was no need for parents to panic.