MPUMALANGA’S education MEC, Craig Padayachee, has criticised communities for allowing school children to loiter in the streets and drink alcohol.
He said despite the call for teaching to start in earnest from the first day of school, children still “sauntered” in the streets and drank liquor at taverns or shebeens during school hours. Teachers were absent without leave and some schools had not yet received textbooks and stationery, despite orders being given to education officials to deliver materials before schools reopened.
“One could only reach the unpleasant conclusion that certain things are fundamentally wrong,” said Padayachee, addressing an awards ceremony in Malelane. He said guns, trespassing, vandalism, drug-dealing, sexual abuse, rape, assault and murder were also hampering education. He warned that all principals would be held directly accountable for poor performances at their schools at the end of the year.
He acknowledged many schools operated without basic facilities like classrooms and toilets, and that the floods had made access to schools difficult. “(But) there should be no reason not to comply with a national call to get learners learning, teachers teaching and mangers managing,” Padayachee said. He said other disadvantaged schools were able to perform well, despite the challenges they faced.
“Despite extraordinary circumstances, a number of schools, some in the remote rural communities, have shown exceptional levels of discipline,” said Padayachee. He said a study would be done to determine why there were extremes in the performances of different schools so practical strategies could be put in place for significant improvements. He said school governing bodies were introduced to help govern schools and were in no way meant to take over the professional management of schools. He urged parents to first consult the department before admitting their children to a school that might not be registered. He said many private schools were opening up and demanding high school fees, but were operating illegally and that the department would take legal action against them. He urged all parents to pay school fees at government schools and get involved in fund-raising drives so facilities could be improved without relying too heavily on the involvement of the education authorities.
“I know that other schools have managed to do more for themselves this way,” he said.
— African Eye News Service, March 7, 2000.