By Bhekizenzo Zonele
KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka visited a Durban school on Wednesday to monitor matric examinations after a bitter dispute over classroom surveillance cameras disrupted teaching for months.
He visited uMkhumbane Senior Secondary School in the uMlazi District as Grade 12 learners wrote their Business Studies Paper 1 examination, assessing efforts to restore academic stability following a boycott by 22 educators.
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The disruption raised concerns about lost teaching time and whether learners preparing for their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations would be able to catch up.
“We had to compromise, because when you negotiate, there are things that you put in place for the sake of the children,” he said, according to the Daily News.
The disagreement centred on CCTV cameras installed in classrooms in 2025 to address safety and disciplinary concerns.
Some educators objected to the cameras, raising concerns about privacy and inadequate consultation. Tensions escalated earlier this year, with 22 teachers withdrawing from teaching.
The KZN Department of Education initially instructed the school to remove the cameras.
However, the school governing body (SGB), supported by the National Teachers’ Union (NATU), challenged the instruction in court.
In March, the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled in favour of the SGB, allowing the cameras to remain installed.
The dispute was further complicated by the suspension of principal Ntokozo Ngobese that same month.
The department said that his suspension was unrelated to the CCTV row, saying it followed allegations of insubordination, including his alleged refusal to allow a reinstated educator to resume duties.
As the standoff continued, the SGB appointed temporary teachers to prevent further disruptions to the academic programme.
Parents also became involved, with some accusing the protesting educators of compromising their children’s education.
According to GroundUp, parents protested when the educators were reinstated, demanding accountability for the teaching time lost during the boycott.
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Following negotiations involving the department, educators, organised labour, parents and school management, all 22 teachers and Ngobese returned to the school in June.
KZN Education Head of Department Nkosinathi Ngcobo welcomed their return, saying disputes should not interfere with learners’ education.
“The education of our children cannot be compromised. We are encouraged by the spirit of cooperation displayed by all parties in resolving the challenges that confronted the school,” Ngcobo said in a departmental statement issued in June.
During Wednesday’s visit, Hlomuka said departmental officials would continue monitoring teacher attendance and the implementation of the academic recovery plan.
According to the Daily News, Hlomuka said the disagreement was not necessarily about the presence of surveillance cameras, but rather the consultation process surrounding their installation.
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He also appealed to parents who had kept their children at home during the unrest to ensure they returned to school.
“Not only in Grade 12, but all grades, because all other grades feed into Grade 12,” Hlomuka said.
The MEC expressed confidence that the school could achieve good examination results, acknowledging the work of educators, departmental officials and other stakeholders in restoring stability.
