Cape Town - After two days of disruptions, lessons at Bardale Primary School in Mfuleni will go ahead on Thursday following a meeting with education officials and community leaders.
On Tuesday and on Wednesday 17 teachers and non-staff members at Bardale primary were forced by the community to leave the school as they had not been consulted about which teachers should be appointed.
Bardale also has a platoon system to accommodate children who have not found places at other schools.
Community leader Bongani Tyembile said unemployed qualifying teachers should have been prioritised for the teaching posts.
Tyembile confirmed the meeting with the officials, saying the community had “decided that classes should resume and the teachers were to resume their duties”.
He said only the principal, Yoliswa Sibayi, would not be allowed back at the school because “she is the one who created all this confusion”.
Tyembile said Wednesday’s meeting was fruitful and they would meet with the department next week, where a memorandum of understanding would be agreed on.
“The current teachers’ contracts end in June,” he said, adding that at the end of June they wanted only teachers residing in Mfuleni to teach at the school. “In the interest of the children’s education we decided to let them teach until their contracts end,” said Tyembile.
Education MEC Debbie Schafer’s spokesperson Jessica Shelver confirmed both the meeting with the community leaders and disruption of classes. “It was agreed that the teachers will go back to school tomorrow (Thursday).”
The department would “draft a plan for the new school and plot a way forward - highlighting milestones and what will happen at the school and by when”.
“Two school days have already been lost,” said Shelver.
Cape Times