King Goodwill Zwelithini lashes errant principals

King Goodwill Zwelithini and Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane, both in front, met principals and school governing bodies in Ulundi. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo

King Goodwill Zwelithini and Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane, both in front, met principals and school governing bodies in Ulundi. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo

Published Aug 23, 2017

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DURBAN - Scores of errant school principals and teachers in KwaZulu-Natal face being fired, adding to the list of more than 300 who have already been kicked out of the system, Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane told King Goodwill Zwelithini on Tuesday.

Dlungwane and the king were addressing principals and school governing body members from the Ulundi and Majuba districts.

While the MEC did not reveal the number of educators who had been fired, Kwazi Mthethwa, his spokesperson, pointed out that 300 had been found guilty of sexual offences, financial irregularities and constant absenteeism.

“They were fired after Dlungwane took over the department last June,” Mthethwa pointed out.

Dlungwane said absenteeism among principals was a challenge in the department.

He added that the department was receiving ongoing tip-offs about “principals who abscond”, with teachers then following suit.

“We have already started terminating the services of some teachers and other employees in the department for being absent without permission,” he said.

Dlungwane said the bad behaviour of some principals was the major cause of poor performance and misbehaviour among pupils.

He found it unacceptable that there were poorer countries on the continent whose academic performance surpassed a better-resourced South Africa. “We cannot be one of the worst. We are going to work even harder to ensure that we turn our situation around.”

Dlungwane said that in order to deal with unacceptable behaviour among teachers and principals, “consequence management is going to be the order of the day”.

“When we act, principals will know that we agreed with them in the presence of the king, that we will take harsher action if the work is not done.

“And consequence management is not going to start and end with teachers, but will also involve circuit offices,” he said.

Dlungwane told the king, principals and governing body chairpersons that the department had set itself a target of 75% pass rate for this year’s matric exams. But the king said he was looking for nothing

less than 80% this year and 100% next year, when he celebrates his 70th birthday.

Dlungwane said the king’s expectation was achievable.

“We are going to take harsh action against principals who do not perform this year,” the MEC assured the king.

“This year we have dedicated ourselves to supporting them, so that they deliver on their mandate,” he added.

Dlungwane asked the king to be part of his unannounced

visits to schools and to assist the department in taking action.

The king said that by excelling in education performance, the country could avoid poor economic performance experienced by most African countries, “through their own making”.

He felt pupils were behaving badly because of some principals’ failure to manage their schools. “As principals you should ask yourselves if you are not the problem in your schools.”

The king said principals should remember that more than 50% of South Africans were living in poverty, and they (principals) were the ones who could change the situation.

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