Leonard Ntshuntshe educator assistants complaining about bad treatment at the school
The educator assistants tried to use the library rather than the parking lot and they were told by the teachers that they won’t take any instructions from them.
Educator assistants at Leonard Ntshuntshe Secondary School said they have been complaining to the school management about the bad treatment they have been receiving at the school without receiving any help and they decided to turn to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for intervention.
Before the intervention of the EFF, the assistants said they have many times asked the deputy principal to speak to the principal of the school, but their pleas hitted a thick wall.
A meeting was then organised between the educator assistants with the school management and was chaired by the circuit manager Mr Simon Maswinyaneng to try and come with solutions to the problems.
It was stated by the educator assistants that they were not told of the duties or responsibilities as educator assistants and they only signed the last page of their contracts; they do have a copy of the contract as well.
“We’re told to do deep cleaning of the whole 34 classes of the school, scrubbing the floors with steel wool, to clean windows and yet we were not provided with the cleaning materials. Some of the teachers undermined us and did not show any respect to us. We were told to move out from one of the classes and stay at the parking lot, come shine or rain for two weeks. We were make to clean with dangerous chemicals leading to one educator assistant’s health complications and one educator assistant miscarrying. We were told to carry heavy typing papers and desks and when we complained, we were given final warnings,” said the educator assistants.
The educator assistants tried to use the library rather than the parking lot and they were told by the teachers that they won’t take any instructions from them.
They also allege that some of the teachers told them to bring water to the teacher’s toilet when the school was without water. The educator assistants said they feel what was happening at the school was very bad and they were well aware that educator assistants in other schools were treated very well.
Some of the job descriptions of the educator assistants are to provide administrative support to the school and assistant teachers by supporting learners with their educational and social development needs as well as promoting a safe and a secure learning and teaching environment. They are supposed to work in an environment that is healthy and safe and that they must not endanger their health or any other person in their work.
They also have roles and responsibilities as well.
During a meeting held on Saturday, February 26 with Mr Maswinyaneng, Mr Jerry Dibate, an EFF official said that the school apologised to all the educator assistants and they are no longer expected to clean or do any other work not in their contracts.
They were also not supposed to work from the parking lot and will be treated like the school teachers. The other matters will be dealt with by the circuit manager.
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