The Congress of South African Students has undertaken to stop failed pupils forging their report cards in order to be passed to a higher grade.
By PHILLIP MOROBI and SHARON HAMMOND
MPUMALANGA plans a major clampdown on failed pupils who transfer to new schools and then forge their report cards in order to be passed to a higher grade. Officials are particularly concerned that the province’s dismal pass rate of 48,3 percent last year will see an especially high incidence of report card forgery this year.
The provincial branch of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) announced on Tuesday that it would manage a joint education department initiative called Operation Siya Cheka (We Inspect). “We are going to try catch as many students as possible because of the fear that the alarming failure rate could tempt some of them to resort to such acts,” explained Cosas secretary, David Maimela, on Tuesday.
He said Cosas representatives would be involved in screening newcomers at schools and ensure parents accompanied their children and provided the relevant documentation.
Maimela said headmasters who withheld school results from pupils who had not paid for their school fees should be charged. Education MEC, Craig Padayachee, visited schools in the former Kwandebele area Tuesday to ensure lessons started on time. “It’s been very encouraging,” he said.
“Everyone was in their classrooms and as we drove through the township no one was seen walking in the streets or even in schoolyards.” He said despite concerns, the schools he visited had received all necessary school materials and textbooks. “There were books on desks and the teachers said everything was in place,” Padayachee explained. All elected members of Mpumalanga’s legislature also visited schools in their constituencies on Tuesday to ensure no teachers or officials were late and that lessons started promptly.
— African Eye News Service, January 12, 2000.