STANGER High School pupils rose up in protest, marching to the Department of Education district offices over the suspension of a maths teacher on Wednesday, February 7.
Learning and teaching at the school was disrupted on the Wednesday morning as a number of pupils made their way to the district office demanding answers over the dismissal of the teacher (whose name is known to the Stanger Weekly) and called for his reinstatement. Several reports have surfaced that the pupils were also calling for the removal of the principal who has fallen out with both the teachers and pupils.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) leadership were called to the school and they held a demonstration inside the principal’s office as the union has received numerous complaints from staff who are unhappy with the principal and his conduct. According to Sadtu KwaDukuza chairperson Buhle Khuzwayo, apart from the incident involving the expelled teacher, some of their other members from the school have made serious allegations about the principal with regards to his conduct. “It has come to our attention several times that there are a lot of issues involving the principal and that the expelled teacher was victimised because of his foreign status and that the principal did not handle the matter appropriately. We can confirm that victimisation of staff, sexual harassment, unprofessional conduct and the undermining of staff on duty are among the allegation at the school, so we want the department to institute an investigation,” he said.
Sadtu afterwards met with the district director of education and the Stanger High School case was presented. The matter is now with the district director for investigation.
“As Sadtu, we want peace to return and Stanger High to be a school again. It’s sad that the principal has since retired without facing the consequences, as his actions were carried out in ignorance of departmental procedures. We would have liked to see fairness and justice being done,” Khuzwayo said. Reports have suggested that the principal has since retired. Numerous attempts by the Weekly to obtain comment from the Department of Education were unfruitful. However, a memorandum was handed over to the department. Teaching and learning at the school has since resumed and the teacher has been reinstated.
