By Lebone Rodah Mosima
At least 65,000 learners stayed away from schools in parts of Mangaung on Monday as a shutdown over service delivery and other grievances disrupted teaching and learning across the metro, the Free State Department of Education said.
The department said preliminary reports from the Mangaung Metropolitan Education District showed learner attendance had fallen dramatically in Mangaung township, Heidedal and Botshabelo, with schools in Mangaung township and Heidedal worst affected.
The shutdown came amid heightened tension in parts of the country over service delivery, unemployment and undocumented foreign nationals.
SABC reported that the Mangaung shutdown, called by the National Service Delivery Forum, had by Monday morning spread to the looting of foreign-owned shops, with about 100 people arrested.
In Mangaung township schools, only 5,280 of 38,110 enrolled learners attended classes, an attendance rate of 13%, while 860 of 1,248 educators reported for duty.
Heidedal schools recorded similar learner attendance, with 2,226 of 17,631 learners at school. Educator attendance there stood at 84%.
Botshabelo schools were less severely affected, with 30,082 of 47,417 learners attending, or 63%. The department said 1,225 of 1,513 educators in Botshabelo reported for duty.
Free State Education MEC Dr Mamiki Maboya said children should not be made to carry the cost of community protests.
“Our children are not party to the matters giving rise to this shutdown, yet they are among those most affected. While communities have a constitutional right to express their concerns, we appeal that schools and learners be protected from unintended disruption,” Maboya said.
“The long-term cost of lost teaching and learning time is one we can ill afford, particularly at a time when we are working collectively to improve educational outcomes.”
The department said schools in the town area, including former Model C schools, also recorded reduced learner attendance despite relatively strong educator turnout.
Navalsig Secondary School recorded 26% learner attendance, with 276 of 1,089 learners present, while educator attendance stood at 92%. HTS Louis Botha recorded 47% learner attendance, with 524 of 1,110 learners present, and 94% educator attendance. Roseview Primary School recorded 32% learner attendance, with 420 of 1,298 learners present, and 85% educator attendance.
The department said it respected the constitutional right to lawful protest, but warned that schools should remain protected spaces during periods of social contestation.
“Every effort must be made to ensure that the constitutional right to protest is exercised in a manner that does not inadvertently compromise the equally important constitutional right of children to access basic education,” it said.
Section 29 of the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to basic education. The department appealed to community leaders, protest organisers, parents and residents to help keep schools open and ensure learners can access education safely.
“The education of our children is a shared societal responsibility. We therefore appeal for collective understanding and cooperation to ensure that learners are able to return to school and continue with the academic programme without further interruption. Our province and country depend on an educated, skilled and empowered generation,” Maboya said.
The department said it had activated academic recovery measures at affected schools, including curriculum rescheduling, afternoon classes, Saturday programmes, winter school support where necessary, and targeted support from district officials and subject advisers.
It said it would continue monitoring the situation and engaging stakeholders to support the restoration of normal schooling.
