DAYIZENZA – Schools reopened on a slow and negative footing on Monday due to issues such as a lack of scholar transport and learners boycotting classes demanding the immediate removal of their principal.
Thousands of learners in the province were subjected to walk long distances to school while others were left stranded following the decision by the Mpumalanga Scholar Transport Operators (MSTO) to embark on a strike until all the money owed to them by the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport had been paid in full.
At some schools such as Thekwane South, which was supposed to have started on Monday, there was chaos and only a few learners actually turned up but they too had to be turned back because there were no teachers.
Angry parents called an emergency meeting which wasn’t well attended and had since threatened to march to the MEC of education’s offices.
“We tried our best to meet government halfway by taking our children to school since there was no scholar transport but when we got to the school there were no teachers. We don’t know what we are going to do now because no one is coming forward with answers,” said one parent during a meeting at the newly built Thekwane South High School.
The provincial leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
Mr Collen Sedibe, said he had tried to intervene by asking the department in a portfolio committee sitting that took place last Thursday at the legislature to convene a stakeholder meeting and address this matter before it got out of hand.
“I have suggested that everybody concerned in this matter convene in an official meeting but the ANC committee members and the HOD for the department refused. They insisted that they had dealt with the matter of payments long ago and they owed nobody,” said Sedibe.
The Department of Education said it was aware of the glitches surrounding the scholar-transport systems and called for the relevant parties to resolve the matter urgently.
“With only 98 days left before the final exams, we do not appreciate the disruption in the education system, and we are of the understanding that the department of public works and the scholar-transport companies are in discussions. We hope the issues will be addressed soon so that learners can continue their schooling,” said Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for the education department.
In another separate incident, teaching and learning came to a standstill at Bhekiswako High School after learners boycotted classes demanding the resignation of the principal.
When Mpumalanga News arrived at the school, the situation had calm down and members of the Congress of South African Students and the principal were locked in a meeting which dragged on throughout the day.
