(WATCH) Parents: ‘School is failing our kids’

FUMING parents and the governing body called for an urgent meeting with the principal and staff at Mariannridge Secondary School to question why teachers were not present in class for the first two weeks of the 2019 school year.

This is the second time the Highway Mail has been called to the school to cover a story. Last year, the newly elected school governing body (SGB) asked the newspaper to write an appeal for support and donations to repair the school. However, the principal refused the journalist access to photograph the dilapidated classrooms and the unhygienic toilets, pictures of which were shown to the newspaper prior to the visit to the school.

At the meeting held last Friday, parents and the SGB were joined by the DA PR ward 15 councillor, Marlaine Nair and DA spokesman for education MPL, Dr Rishigen Viranna.

While waiting for the meeting to begin, the newspaper filmed a few short clips inside the school hall. These videos show a school hall missing large chunks of its ceiling boards, a broken bathroom door lying in a passageway, a corridor filled with broken school items and taps that are missing their handles, with no water access.

The bathrooms in the hall reeked of urine and faeces.

Media banned from meeting

Minutes later, news was delivered that the principal did not want any press on the school’s grounds and would not speak to the Highway Mail.

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Shortly after the parents and members of the governing body learnt there would be no media presence, the group opted to meet outside the school’s main entrance. Before the meeting began, the principal, along with a few staff members, drove off the school grounds and did not return before the meeting adjourned just after 2pm.

Two matric learners, who did not wish to be named for fear of victimisation, said the school year only began for them in March last year and feared it would be the same this year.

“When we were in Grade 10 (2017), our pure maths teacher left, she gave three months notice. She left and we didn’t get another teacher for some time. In January 2018 a new teacher was introduced to us. He was there for two weeks. He would come to class, sit down. He wasn’t teaching. Then he left. We didn’t have a teacher for the whole year,” said the learner.

“Last year we didn’t write departmental papers. It was papers set by the school. So what we are worried about is that every paper we write this year is a departmental paper in order for us to pass matric. What if we fail? What is going to happen then? He (the principal) is telling us we need to leave pure maths and do maths literacy. We are getting the minimum work to pass the paper. When you go to university they require pure maths. I want to be a chartered accountant,” said the determined matriculant.

One of the parents, who also opted not to be named, said it took three months for the school year to begin for learners in 2018.

“The Department of Education came in and there was a meeting. I am not sure whatever became of that, but they shouldn’t have left the school, knowing full well the problems we are facing at the school,” said the concerned mom.

“I need this school to be up and running for my children. My concern is that they are missing out on the fundamental years, how do you expect them to cope in Standard 8, 9 and 10? You are going to see that gap, they are going to feel that gap.”

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School is a mess

During the group meeting it was noted the school is mandated to have 40 teachers but only 36 are employed. It was also alleged that SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union) teachers, the day prior to the meeting, opted to host a union meeting that lasted five hours. When the Highway Mail visited the school last year it was also alleged that a handful of teachers refused to go to class to teach and they would spend the day in the teachers’ lounge.

“The school is swimming with drugs and alcohol. They’re not coming here to learn, but to run a business,” said a governing body member.

Parents asked learners leaving the school to show them their books. Each book that was taken out was empty and no notes had been taken down. One book had the date written in the top right hand corner.

“There is no maintenance happening at the school. The toilets are a mess. There is no water coming from the taps.We found maggots, pads, feaces on the wall. How are the kids supposed to use the bathrooms if they are in that state? How did it get to that point? I came to the school and started cleaning these toilets myself,” said one mother.

Ward councillor comments:

Marlaine Nair, the DA PR councillor for ward 15 and DA whip for economic development in eThekwini, said: “It is deeply disturbing to see and hear of the situation at Mariannridge Secondary School and I am shocked to learn that nothing has been done so far to resolve matters at the school.

“I would like to urge parents to refrain from any violent action, like “burning the school down”, but remain calm and allow for the necessary steps to be taken to begin resolving a problem that has been present for a long time. I would also like to urge community, civic and religious leaders to come forward and band together to help restore hope to the youth who have lost their way.

“Restoring Mariannridge Secondary School to its former glory will require a combined community effort over a period of time. Residents must blow the whistle on drug merchants, instigators and culprits who are contributing to the anarchy at the school.”

DA spokesman for education comments:

Dr Rishigen Viranna, said, “As the Democratic Alliance, we will raise all of these major issues with both the MEC of Education, Hon Dlungwana, and the chairperson of the Education Portfolio Committee, Hon Hlongwa-Madlala, for immediate action. We will also follow up the resolutions taken during the Legislature School Functionality Visits to ensure immediate action.

• The Department of Education and SADTU were contacted for comment. Neither of the bodies responded by the time of going to print.

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