The Department of Education and Hoernle Primary School still not seeing eye to eye
Back and forth court appearances have still led to no resolution
The principal of Hoernle Primary School, Mzimkhulu Hlalukana said the school is still being neglected by the Department of Education even after two court orders.
According to Hlalukana, the Department of Education insists that the school is legally closed when that is not the case.
“The court has shown that these people are liars, they have ruled against whatever they have presented at court,” said Hlalukana.
“We had a judgment on November 4, 2016, where the court ordered that the education department reinstates the status of the school, to pay the teachers and bring the grant money they stopped back to the school, they didn’t comply entirely, and they said that they were appealing that particular decision.”
It is alleged that the education department only complied with one part of the judgement which was to provide stationery and food to the children, so they can be able to write exams last year November, however, since January this year, the school has not received any assistance from the department even though the court order stated that it should be implemented even pending the appeal.
In a letter dated March 7th, the department acknowledged the two court orders, however, it also states that “We (the department) are hopeful that the matter will be finalised at the hearing of the appeal by the South Gauteng High Court on the March 9, 2017, and the Attorney (Attorney of Hoernle Primary School) knows very well that the department has agreed to partially implementing the court order pending the finalisation of the matter.”
The principal of Hoernle Primary School as well as the teachers intend to stage a sit-in at the premier’s offices today.
