History will clear us

I WANT to congratulate the South Peninsula High School matric students of 2016 on their excellent results.

The teachers and parents must also take credit for these outstanding results. Despite the circumstances under which the school had to operate, it is commended for the smooth way in which it is being run.

The Western Cape Education Department disregarded the feelings of the SPHS community and the wider Western Cape community by trying to destabilise the school because it felt that I had been too critical of the WCED.

I want to thank the progressive educational and political forces in the Western Cape which pointed out that WCED wanted to control the soul of education in the province.

The premier, the minister of education, heads of education and directors of education and bureaucratic circuit managers waged a relentless war against my person and ultimately the school.

My only transgression was that I criticised the WCED for the way in which it abused teachers through its labour relations department and that I was not prepared to be bullied by two circuit managers.

I will fight my suspension, dismissal and the refusal of WCED to pay my leave credits with the Education Labour Relations Council, failing which I will take the matter to the high court.

Officials of WCED cannot use their positions, whether educational or political, to silence their critics. I cannot be business as usual for the Labour Relations Department and officious circuit managers and directors.

Many progressive political analytical groups have always believed in education for liberation and therefore the SPHS community realised that it would not be tempted into boycotting school because of WCED’s machinations. I salute those who see through the neo-liberal policies of the DA and the ANC. History, as Fidel Castro said, will vindicate us. Brian Isaacs, former principal of SPHS Lansdowne