Durban - FEMALE pupils at Mariannridge
Secondary School in Pinetown, west of Durban, protested for two days and set the toilets alight because of being forced to use the facilities which are in an unsanitary condition.
The pupils also protested against alleged lawlessness at the school which has resulted in mass academic failures over the past two terms.
The school was previously shut down by parents over these issues.
When the Daily News team arrived in the fourth period of the day yesterday, the pupils were basking in the winter sun and socialising while the principal tried haplessly to get them into their empty classes, with no teachers in sight.
An unbearable stench came from the toilets, which the girls say they are unable to use despite being at school for at least seven hours.
“I once used the teachers’ toilet and was caught by a teacher and nearly got a warning for that, but what else could I do?” said a Grade 10 pupil.
Some pupils alleged they had contracted infections from the toilets.
According to the parents and school governing body, the school has
about 35 teachers and 1061 pupils. Often, between eight and 10 teachers are absent every day, resulting in the high failure rate.
Results from the school show that 93% of Grade 8 pupils and 95% of Grade 9 pupils failed their half-year exams, along with 84% of Grade 11s and 58% of matrics.
The Daily News previously reported that the absenteeism stemmed from the appointment of the new school principal in 2016.
It is alleged by the parents that a certain teacher was bitter at not being appointed principal and had influenced other teachers to become rebellious. The parents had called for the teacher to be removed, and for a conducive learning environment to be created, to no avail.
“Most of the teachers do not come to school, and it is the only high school in the area. We have about 30 or so teachers in this school and on any given day there may be 10 absent,” a parent complained.
SGB chairperson Joel Blignaut said the pupils were not instructed to take the law into their hands and burn school property. “The pupils decided among themselves on Monday to protest. They are fed up with not having the proper sanitation - their basic human right - in the school.”
SA Democratic Teachers’ Union spokesperson Bheki Shandu said the union was aware of the ongoing issue and pleaded for the Education Department to act immediately. “We cannot have such things happening, especially since it’s a crucial time as we approach the end of the syllabus,” he said.
“The human relations at the school have caused a few other teachers to resign because it was not a conducive working place.”
Shandu said Sadtu was prepared to come on board to ensure the school ran smoothly again.
Professor Labby Ramrathan, director of the UKZN School of Education Studies, was alarmed at the school’s failure rate.
“This is troublesome; it’s shocking,” he said. “The school needs new management and to hire new staff. Once that changes, the school can then improve its image and abide by a new vision.”
Education Department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said the district was working around the clock to find
lasting solutions to the issues at Mariannridge Secondary.
“We are calling upon all parties involved to remain calm as we forge ahead with teaching and learning,” Mthethwa said.