PUPILS WALK OUT AFTER TEACHERS SHUN CLASS
Parents back overcrowded school boycott
BORED pupils at an overcrowded North West high school yesterday defied government officials’ orders to stay in class.
A number of pupils wearing uniforms freely walked out of MpheBana Secondary School in Kgetleng, in Koster, North West, while education department officials and parents were in a meeting to address overcrowding, lack of furniture and teachers, and poor sanitation, among others.
According to parents, pupils were prevented from entering the school on Wednesday but were later told to come to school by government officials, who said learning would begin yesterday.
Yesterday morning, some pupils simply scaled over the fence while others crawled under it and dispersed in various directions.
They told Sowetan that coming to school was a waste because they were not taught.
Just before midday, the school was half-empty and the remaining pupils simply walked out of the school gates. Since the school reopened last week learning has not taken place after teachers abandoned pupils until the department addressed the overcrowding.
After meeting department officials, a group of angry parents boarded a minibus taxi for premier Supra Mahumapelo's office in Mahikeng with their demands.
School governing body chairman Stanley Mogomotsi said the situation was appalling and he backed the teachers’ boycott of classes.
“This is a bad situation. Classrooms are overcrowded and teachers are forced to teach by the door. Government must act quickly because parents have taken a decision to prevent their children from coming to school.
“We are going to the premier’s office whom we think will address the situation. If he [Mahumapelo] doesn’t listen to us we will meet again tomorrow [Friday] and plan the way forward,” said Mogomotsi.
Celia Mokotedi prevented her two children from going to school.
“To us the strike still continues. I won’t allow my children to come and waste time here. Pupils who came to school today were duped by department officials on Wednesday that there will be learning and no teaching has taken place. The truth is teaching will not happen until the issues are addressed,” Mokotedi said.
Ward councillor Victor Kgari said: “This is bad. Overcrowding here has been ongoing for a long time. I am worried that children have lost two weeks of learning and as parents we expect them to be taught daily,” he said.
Provincial education department spokesman Elias Malindi said within a few days, eight mobile classrooms and new furniture would be delivered. He said a contractor was at the school to attend to sanitation and they had requested teachers to begin teaching. Malindi blamed overcrowding on the area’s growing population.