Lomahasha Central High suspends lessons indefinitely
SITEKI – Classes suspended indefinitely!
Barely a week after the reopening of schools, Lomahasha Central High School has since suspended lessons indefinitely.
According to a pupil at the school, the school’s Head teacher, Muzi Tsabedze, called them to assembly around noon, where he informed them that the school had since suspended lessons for Form I, II and Form IV pending the Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO), Richard Dlamini’s resolving of the current impasse between the teachers and a pupil who was involved in a brawl with one of the educators.
Initially, last week Friday, pupils were given letters to summon their parents to a meeting yesterday.
Boycotted
Lessons were abruptly suspended last Friday after the teachers boycotted teaching following the recalling of a 29-year-old pupil who had been suspended for being engaged in a scuffle with one of their staff members.
The incident took place early last month before the closure of schools for the Christmas holidays.
According to one of the pupils at the school, the Form V pupil returned to class last Friday after he was recalled by the school’s head teacher. It was then that the teachers resorted to boycotting teaching and told the head teacher that they would not return to their respective classrooms if the pupil who had a fight with one of their own was still in the school. Lessons were suspended as the pupils also joined in the fray and told the teaching staff that they would not return to class today as well if their colleague was not allowed to take lessons.
Yesterday, a standoff ensued as the teachers did not return to class, resulting in the head teacher meeting them and also collectively meeting with the parents with some members of his teaching staff. In that meeting, it was established that the main agenda was the recalled pupil who had a scuffle with a teacher and the COVID-19 vaccination of pupils. Over 20 parents attended the meeting.
“The teachers informed us that they would not return to class if the pupil was still at the school. In fact, they want the pupil to be expelled, however, the head teacher explained to us and the teachers that he got a directive that the pupil should be allowed back into class and be part of the other pupils who are preparing for their exams,” said one of the parents present during the meeting.
The parent added that the head teacher told them that they would be informed about the resumption of lessons once the REO had addressed the impasse at the school.
Exams
“Form I, II and IV pupils were told to go home and would hear from us when they should return back to school. Only Form IIIs and Vs will be writing their Agriculture practical exams tomorrow. It is a complicated situation because the teachers are in solidarity with one of their own yet the pupil in question here is in Form V and needs to be allowed back into class and finish the remaining learning period as well and prepare himself for the upcoming exams,” narrated a parent. The parent further stated that they told them that the embattled pupil would be allowed today to write his practical exams in Agriculture.
“We are banking our hopes on the REO because the situation at the school is not conducive for learning, we were hoping that things would calm down and return to normalcy,” concluded the parent.
One of the pupils at the school confirmed the impromptu closure, indicating that they were told that they would hear from their parents when they would be returning to class.
“We were called to assembly and addressed that we would hear from our parents when we would be returning to class. Classes to continue to learn are Form III and V who will be writing