Govt accused of setting pupils against head teachers
NHLANGANO – Head teachers of some schools in the Shiselweni Region have accused government of setting them up against the pupils by not providing the necessities required.
The school heads complained specifically about food and water which they alleged they did not have since schools opened on September 8, 2021.
They claimed that they had filed requests but nothing had been done so far.
In an interview with the head teachers, they stated that they were shocked by the fact that since they sent reports to the Regional Education Office, they have not received feedback and the situation was getting worse.
Though the head teachers requested to speak on condition of anonymity in fear of victimisation, they stated that they created a WhatsApp group where they shared the challenges they faced.
Shortage
In the group, each head teacher stated the name of the school, how they opened and the situation on the ground.
Some of the issues raised in the group include figures of pupils who did not return, shortage of water, school learning material, desks and chairs for pupils, food and teachers.
The head teachers said they feared that the pupils would find reasons to protest following that in some schools they had already started and mentioned the very things they were short of.
“I have two classes that I have to teach because of a teachers’ shortage and if I am attending to other school matters, they are left for days without learning,” narrated one head teacher.
They questioned how they were going to stop pupils from protesting especially because they then became violent and destroyed the school property.
Reopened
They mentioned that this was a load they did not know how to carry adding that when schools reopened, the Ministry of Education and Training assured that everything was well in schools.
“We wonder if that was done just so we could not say anything but since the pupils are getting violent each day, they will end up attacking us,” remarked another teacher.
They said that they were informed that there was only one water tanker but were adamant that since schools opened, it had not serviced any school.
In fact, another head teacher said the office of the REO always had excuses including shortage of fuel.
The head teachers said in the COVID19 era, such excuses were unacceptable as people’s lives were involved.
When reached for a comment, Deputy REO Sibongile Zwane requested to be called later as she was in a meeting but when later called; her phone was not available on local networks.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education and Training Lady Howard Mabuza said the issue of teachers would be sorted out as soon as they finished redeploying teachers which was currently an ongoing process.
Overcrowded
She said they wanted to cover the vacant posts and hire new teachers once all the teachers who were overcrowded in other schools were redeployed.
On the issue of food, Mabuza said to the best of her knowledge, food was available since schools had been closed and no one was consuming the food then.
“As to what happened to the food I will find out from the nutritionist,” she said.
Responding on the issue of water, Mabuza wondered how boreholes were not prioritised but later asked if the office of the REO was not sleeping on their jobs because they did not report same to the ministry.