No reports for learners after three attempts

Hundreds of angry parents and despondent Grade 1 to 11 learners pitched up at the Millenium Combined School today (Tuesday) for the third time to try and get their final reports for the year.The parents were annoyed about what they described as the don’t-care attitude of the Department of Education, as the situation at the school is seemingly not conducive for good teaching and education, with infighting among educators having led to the school being closed six times already this year.
“Our children are wasting their time at this school and they are not willing to give us letters so we can enrol them in other schools,” said one of the agitated parents, a former educator who had taken off time at work three times already to collect her children’s reports.
Parents and learners went the school last Wednesday and again on Friday, after they were told that the reports were not ready yet. On Friday they were told a second time that the report cards are not ready and told to return on Tuesday (today). Arriving at school from 09:00 onwards today, they found that the report cards still were not ready for distribution.
Several other problems were highlighted when talking to the parents and children, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal. There was no water or electricity at the school. The Grade 11 and 12 learners did not have an English teacher since the beginning of the year, and reportedly four teachers were bullying others to the extent that the principal had collapsed twice and was now booked off on sick leave for six months. An administrator was appointed at the school since October, with no improvement noticed.
One of the parents said he had been insulted and called names by one of the ‘bullying’ teachers when he complained about their misbehaviour. A Grade 2 teacher was allegedly chased away by the bullies and the school has allegedly broke up six times this year due to internal strive among the staff.  Three educators appointed to work at the school were initially not allowed to teach there. Learners last received school reports in April this year and not since. “We do not know our children’s half-year marks or if they are going to pass,” one parent said.
Another parent alleged the reports of educators wanting the circuit to condone the report cards of those who failed so they too can pass.
The parents were told to collect the reports tomorrow (Wednesday) at 09:00. Phoning later, one of the parents informed Polokwane Observer that parents who stayed behind had locked the gates and insisted the circuit manager came to talk to them. Some threatened to burn the school.
Naledzani Rasila, Head of Communications of the Department of Education said the problems should be resolved by the circuit and the district offices first. He was not aware of the problems with regards to the reports, but said the department had sent a team to sort out the problems at the school earlier this year. He later reported that the circuit encountered challenges with the reports and had to verify the challenges.

They were still busy working on the reports this afternoon (Tuesday) but Rasila said learners would be able to collect their reports by tomorrow (Wednesday) at 09:00 at the latest.

Story and photo: Nelie Erasmus
nelie.observer@gmail.com

Featured photo: Hundreds of parents pitched up at the Millenium Combined School for the third time today (Tuesday) to collect their children’s report cards.