I didn’t believe earlier that an educator could get into trouble for doing their job.
It happened to me. In my school in Kwa-Zulu Natal (Msinga District) NSP had come to build new classrooms. We had a problem with water, the nearest source was a 500 metre walk away from the school. We had to send our female learners to collect water for the construction company.
The SMT decide to form a committee that was responsible for collecting water. The committee worked according to grades. That day it was the Grade 10’s turn. Because some of my Grade 9 learners had been absent the previous day, a member of the committee asked them to collect water before they went to class. I was in the classroom introducing a new lesson. I saw the two learners walking along the road with buckets in their hands. I called them to come to class. The committee member shouted at them and told them to go to the windpump, I approached her and asked her to allow the girls to fetch water after class. She replied that they should do their job because they had been absent and missed their turn.
A few minutes later I was called to see the HOD and told that I was rude because I don’t respect my elders. When I asked him to whom he was referring he said that mistress is my senior and age takes precedence, I should respect her words.
I then told other teachers that I did not understand what the HOD had said to me.
A staff meeting was called where I had to apologise to my colleague and the HOD.