Durban - Parents of pupils at Mariannpark Primary School in Pinetown shut down the school for a second time yesterday because they were tired of “empty promises” from the Department of Education to resolve the issues at the school.
In November last year, MEC Kwazi Mshengu visited the school after tensions and allegations against the principal, which led to teachers downing tools.
The principal was suspended and the deputy principal was appointed as acting principal.
According to the parents, since then things have got even worse at the school which had affected their children’s education and led to them closing the school on Monday and yesterday.
Yesterday education officials visited the school and addressed parents.
One of the parents told the Daily News they eventually agreed to giving the department 16 days to resolve the issues and to let the children return to school today with the hope that Grade R enrolment would begin.
Many, however, were upset that the department had sent the head of the MEC’s security unit to address the parents instead of a “proper department official”.
“We feel that the department is not taking us seriously. We do not see how he (the security head) can help us and how he is connected to the issue of malfunctioning in the school,” said a parent, who did not want to be named.
“He told us that there were still legal processes under way regarding the principal who was suspended. He said he was sent to listen and report back to the MEC’s office.”
One of the parents claimed that at the start of school last Wednesday, the teachers did not arrive until midday.
“The school is very dysfunctional in that the enrolment of the Grade Rs had not started. Parents came to the school last year to register the kids and they were turned away and told to come back at the beginning of January.
“When they came, no teacher was there and on the second day they were told to come back on January 30.
“Another problem is that they demand R800 for Grade R registration, yet this is a no-fees school,” said the parent.
Another parent said the school’s infrastructure issues mentioned at the meeting were the least of their worries.
“Our priority is our children’s education and the environment they are in. At the moment the school is not an appropriate environment for them. There is a lot of tension. There are conflicts and mistreatment among teachers.”
Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the issues at the school were a cause of concern.
“What parents are doing now at the beginning of the year will haunt us at the end of the year. This will soon become an expense to the department when we will be needed to fund a catch-up programme,” he said.
The department confirmed that teaching would resume today.
The provincial chief executive officer of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), Thirona Moodley, who has been following up on the challenges facing teachers at the schools, said the major problem at the school was that parents were being misinformed about what was really going on.