Lisa Isaacs
TEACHERS appealed to the Education Department to launch a full-scale investigation into the “worrying state of affairs” at Zonnebloem High School.
The Woodstock school was earmarked for closure in 2012, but had an 11th-hour reprieve on condition that improvements were made to its infrastructure and pupils’ results. Teachers say it has not happened.
In a letter to Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, signed by seven teachers, they state the school’s academic results have declined. In June, only one of 80 Grade 8 pupils and one of 83 Grade 9s passed.
The letter detailed the teachers’ increasing concerns about pupils lacking discipline, which they attributed to principal Jonty Damsell’s leadership style and indecisiveness.
“The principal struggles to discipline pupils effectively. Many of us have witnessed Mr Damsell trying to reprimand pupils, who respond by running away instead of showing deferrence to him. If they show this blatant disregard for the principal, it is inevitable that it will be replicated in their disregard for teachers,” the letter stated.
“I have seen personally how pupils laugh in his face when he tries to discipline them, he does nothing about it. If that happens to him, what will they (pupils) think of me? It undermines us,” maths and science educator Nigel Daniels said.
Another teacher claimed to have been assaulted twice by pupils.
In an incident this year, a Grade 9 male pupil picked up and threw the teacher into a cupboard.
“Only a mediation took place. He didn’t even have to say sorry, he was not suspended, only given community service, which was work squad, but didn’t even show up for that.”
“I’ve made up my mind that I’m leaving already. I have expressed my concerns to Mr Damsell. I don’t want to be at a school where I fear for my safety.”
She said teachers didn’t have support from management to reinforce the school’s code of conduct. “I’ve found kids smoking cigarettes at the school, I even have photographic evidence, but they just don’t care.
“I once caught a group of matric boys smoking on school property, and was told by Mr Damsell these boys were leaving the school anyway, there’s nothing we can do.”
The teacher said Damsell had remarked, “welcome to Zonnebloem” when bringing students to his office to be disciplined.
In 2012, Donald Grant, then education MEC, visited the school before classes began and found that more than half of the pupils arrived late.
“That situation has essentially remained the same and pupils do not face the consequences of their persistent late-coming,” the letter said.
Provincial education spokeswoman Jessica Shelver confirmed the department had received the letter.
“The ministry referred the matter to the district for investigation and feedback. The district is currently investigating the matter,” she said.
Damsell referred all queries to the department.