Vacancies big worry for schools

UPGRADING security, getting parents involved, finding a new governing body chairperson and filling two teaching posts is what Morningside High School needs to up its matric pass rate.

Morningside High principal Dr Sarawathi Pather said this while meeting Eastern Cape education portfolio committee officials yesterday.

The visit by the committee of MPLs is part of the legislature’s efforts to check on school-readiness in the province.

“We want to improve our results and to do that we need to employ more teachers – our school [has] 780 learners who are our top priority,” Pather said.

The school achieved a 61% matric pass rate for 2016.

Pather said the biggest problem was the lack of a governing body chairperson.

“We can’t function without [one] because it hinders our planning for 2017. [So far] we have not had a [governing body] member appointed – a major problem for the school,” Pather said.

Education portfolio committee member Busisiwe Ndlangisa-Makaula said all the issues would be taken up with Education MEC Mandla Makupula.

“We are here to see where we can assist because the [lack of a governing body] has gone on for too long.

“We need to hold those responsible to account,” Ndlangisa-Makaula said.

The meeting was interrupted briefly when parent, the Rev Xolani Tengo, was asked to leave the meeting by committee members.

Pather told the committee that Tengo harassed her and her staff.

Before leaving, Tengo said: “I am a stakeholder because my child is here. We want everything done transparently because it is in the interest of all of us.”

The committee’s second visit was at Qaphelani High School, where the biggest issue raised was the vacant principal post and 12 others.