No lessons for English pupils

2008-01-16 19:08

Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Ermelo - Mpumalanga's education authorities are irate after learning that this year's intake of English-speaking pupils at Hoërskool Ermelo have been placed in the school hall and have not started lessons yet.

Education spokesperson Hlahla Ngwenya accused the school, which has rebelled against being a dual-medium school, of creating unnecessary problems.

"They are arguing that they can't put (English-speaking) learners into classes, but that's discrimination," said Ngwenya on Wednesday.

He said the department had not received a written report about the problem yet, so could not act until the report landed.

School governing body (SGB) chairperson, Johan Ernst, said about 75 English-speaking pupils were enrolled in Grade 8 this year and had to be put in the school hall because there wasn't enough space for them.

He said the department had forced the school to register English pupils without ensuring there were enough resources.

No English teachers

"We've done as the department asked. The children are here, but there are no English teachers, no books, no space. What are we supposed to do now?" asked Ernst.

Last year, the school enrolled 20 English-speaking Grade 8 pupils who are now in Grade 9 classes.

Ernst said he hoped the department would come up with a solution soon for this year's intake of pupils.

"We just hope the department acts fast enough because learning must go on. We can't have learners who come to school everyday to be faced with these problems," said Ernst.

Hoërskool Ermelo was unsuccessful in its attempt to take legal action to reverse a decision by Education Minister Naledi Pandor last year to strip the SGB of its powers and admit English-speaking pupils at the school.

Meanwhile, leader of the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga, Anthony Benadie, expressed concern that the political interference at the school was affecting both English and Afrikaans children.

He said the department should rather spend its energy and resources trying to uplift the standard of education across the province.

Last year, Mpumalanga's matric pass rate dropped by 4.5% from 65.3% to 60.8%.

- African Eye