There was no schooling in Khutsong on Monday despite a 90% attendance by pupils at some schools after a month-long boycott.
”We have confirmation that where learners turned up in large numbers, teaching never took place,” said North West education spokesperson Charles Raseala.
Indications were that no teaching took place in the any of the township’s 12 schools, which have been boycotted over the incorporation of Khutsong into the North West province.
Pupils and teachers appeared on Monday to be blaming each other for the reason teaching did not take place, Raseala said.
”Both groups are at school but there is still no teaching. When you ask the teachers, they say the learners don’t want to be taught. When you ask the learners, they say the teachers don’t want to come to class.”
Some schools had up to 90% attendance by pupils, he said.
A report from officials was expected late on Monday and the provincial minister of education Johannes Tselapedi would be briefed in the evening, he said.
The department had not confirmed rumours of a ”chalk-down” by teachers or union involvement.
Some pupils allegedly also said they had come to school but were not prepared to be taught with materials from North West.
Merafong municipality was incorporated into North West last year. Parts of the municipality previously fell under Gauteng.
The move evoked strong criticism and resulted in violent protests from Khutsong residents.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Louis Jacobs said that no trouble or incidents were reported on Monday.
Earlier, Raseala said that 21 school days had been lost by last Friday.
Khutsong — near Carletonville — has three high schools and nine primary schools, with 13 700 pupils.
Raseala said teachers reported for duty on April 12 but did not teach. The department then instructed the teachers to ”normalise” the situation. A pupil boycott followed on April 17.
”The teachers said they would not teach until they were taken back to Gauteng, and community protests followed on April 13, and since then it has escalated.”
Last month, the provincial department of education suspended three teachers and a principal for supporting the class boycott.
On Friday the Khutsong Representative Council of Learners (RCL) called on pupils to return to schools.
”As learner leaders, we will continue to say learners must go back to school,” said RCL president Sibusiso Kula. — Sapa