Parents destroying rural schools – heads

LOMAHASHA – Rural head teachers have it tough. Nkalashane Primary Shool Head teacher Aaron Mthembu alleged that parents in rural areas were destroying the schools. He said they made demands which they failed to make when they took their children to urban schools.

He said he had noticed that some parents were vocal at his school but they did not behave the same with their children whom they transferred to urban schools.

Another head teacher, who asked not to be mentioned, said in rural schools, parents complained over top-up fees or corporal punishment. “When their children are whipped in urban schools, they praise the head teachers,” said the head teacher.

He noted some schools in Manzini and Mbabane, where he alleged pupils got whipped over minor mistakes but parents were silent. He said, however, in rural schools, parents protested every time when a child was taken through corporal punishment.

Lot Vilakati, the Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), blamed the government for the confusion. He said the government also appeared to favour the rural schools and that this resulted in the parents being divided.

Punished

Vilakati said even head teachers in rural schools were punished differently than those in urban areas. He said there were instances where a rural teacher was fired for missappropriating a smaller amount, but other teachers in urban schools were let free.

He also said even for corporal punishment it was the same situation. “As SNAT, we do not condone corporal punishment but it should be the same in rural areas as well as in urban areas,” said Vilakati.

He said this was why rural schools did not perform as urban schools. He said it was as if the rural schools were deliberately made to perform better than then urban schools.