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Ermelo to get English teachers
22/01/2008 14:01 - (SA)
Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane
Ermelo - The Mpumalanga Education Department says it will hire five English-speaking teachers to solve the crisis at Hoërskool Ermelo.
This year's intake of 105 English-speaking Grade 8 pupils have been unable to start lessons at the dual-medium school because of the lack of English-speaking teachers to teach them.
Until Tuesday, they were forced to sit in the school hall every day because there are no classrooms for them. They were finally placed in five empty classrooms on Tuesday.
The department suspended the principal, Jacobus Kruger, for misconduct last week and appointed Frank Hlatshwayo as caretaker principal.
"The department is happy with its decision to rope in a caretaker at Ermelo, he's already doing a great job. We can already see a future for these children," said department spokesperson Hlahla Ngwenya on Tuesday.
Hlatshwayo has established a task team that includes curriculum implementers who will guide the school in terms of the curriculum for the year.
On Monday, the task team agreed that five English-speaking teachers be hired full-time to teach the English-speaking pupils.
Ngwenya said Kruger was suspended because he refused to take instruction, particularly from regional education director, Nokuthula Mthethwa.
He said Kruger was suspended with full pay and instructed not to go near the school without Mthethwa's permission.
'Respecting authority'
"We can't work with an employee whose relationship has broken down with his employer. It is not a matter of race, it's a matter of respecting authority. He'd have done the same if his own teachers defied him," said Ngwenya.
He said Kruger would attend a disciplinary hearing on January 30.
Meanwhile, the school lost its appeal in the Pretoria High Court on Friday to have full authority restored to its school governing body (SGB).
In January last year, Education Minister Naledi Pandor ordered that the SGB be stripped of its authority to determine language policy when it tried to implement an Afrikaans-only policy.
SGB chairperson Johan Ernst said on Tuesday that the SGB was negotiating with the department for the principal's suspension to be lifted because his presence was crucial for the induction of the new teachers.
"Nothing is on paper as yet, but from my conversation with the department's HOD this morning it seems the deal will come through," said Ernst.
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