By Alicia Mmashakana

A Ventersdorp principal and a circuit manager in the North West this week appeared in the Ventersdorp Magistrate facing charges of corruption after they were nabbed for selling teachers posts.

Principal Lydia Masiu and co-accused circuit manager Petrus Mokobe were arrested by the Hawsk serious corruption investigating unit in Klerksdorp and Ventersdorp following allegations that they were selling teachers posts for R15 000 each.

The two were granted bail of R8 000 each and their case postponed to September 6 2024 for further investigation. They were facing five accounts of corruption.

Hawks spokesperson in the North West, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said the pair were arrested on Monday following an investigation into the allegations.

According to Paul Esterhuizen, CEO of education rewards company School-Days, teachers were in the firing line of budget cuts in basic education.

“Given the large class sizes in most public schools, we cannot afford to expand these classes further because we do not have the funds to hire more teachers.

“The unfortunate reality is the problems in our education system are not due to a lack of resources but rather the mismanagement of those resources that means we are not getting bang for our educational budget,” Esterhuizen said.

Three months ago, then minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga, confirmed that teacher vacancies in South Africa have skyrocketed to 31,000, triggering a huge problem.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johannah Malogadihlare

Angry qualified unemployed KZN teachers this week embarked on sit-ins in some parts of the province demanding employment from the provincial department citing financial hardships and frustrations in the current hard economic times.

One group of 70 teachers staged a sit-in outside the education department offices in Pietermaritzburg since Monday and vowed to remain on the site until their demands were met.

In their confrontation with officials of the department, the group emphasized that they had been applying for posts for years and have even tried in other provinces with no success.

They went on to claim that instead unqualified teachers were being preferred over them.

The group pointed out to the officials that it felt like an insult to have spent many years studying and yet the department was unable to secure them employment so they could take care of their families.

Another group picketed in Port Shepstone at the district education office with the intention to handover a memorandum to the director.

However, the group was unable to handover the memorandum as the director was said to be in a meeting.

One of the teachers, Mdu Nyuswa, who spoke on behalf of the group, said out of desperation the teachers are forced to hustle to make ends meet and support their families.

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department has consistently been engaging teachers on the process of hiring in the database and all posts are advertised publicly.

Mahlambi said the department will find out how many unemployed educators were in the area as well as their area of specialization as some of the subjects were not in demand.

“The matter of unemployment is not yet to be resolved anytime soon because currently there are no post 1 level opportunities,” Mahlambi said.

Teachers union SADTU has also engaged new MEC Sipho Hlamuka on some of the issues raised including the requirement for transparency in appointing post level one educators. The union said it was encouraged by the attitude of the MEC.

“We were happy to learn that the MEC was also of the same idea of transparent processes.  To see the statement of the Department on this matter just less than ten days after our meeting is an indication that the MEC is a man of action who walks the talk.” said SADTU in a statement.

The union said it was delighted that the MEC was speaking the same language with them in terms of introducing more transparent and inclusive processes when appointing teachers and ensure that vacant posts are advertised publicly.

In his statement, the MEC seeks to introduce more transparent and inclusive processes when appointing teachers and ensuring that vacant posts are advertised publicly.

“There has been great confusion and discontent especially on the side of unemployed graduates who do not know how the department is appointing teachers. In as much as they know that people are identified from the App or data base, it remains a mystery

how some have never had an opportunity though being registered in the App for years,” said the union’s statement.

It added that while the App was useful in keeping the data on unemployed graduates in most cases it caused delays in filling vacancies.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Alicia Mmashakana

THE Gauteng Education, Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation MEC, Matome Chiloane has strongly condemned an incident on Monday, at Matshidiso Primary School in Katlehong, in which three armed men threatened teachers before grabbing two young boys and leaving with them.

In a series of shocking videos that have gone viral on social media, a well-known pastor, Paseka Mboro, is seen wielding a panga and threatening to attack teachers on the school premises. A man with an assault rifle is standing next to him while another is seen grabbing two learners.

The Department said in a statement that there had been a growing dispute between two families regarding the custody of two pupils enrolled in Grade RR and Grade 2. It is said that the mother of the children passed away in April this year, leading to a dispute between the paternal and maternal sides of the family.

On the day of the incident, the father of the children had a meeting with the principal in the morning. Later in the day, the maternal grandmother, who is the alleged guardian of the children, also met with the principal as well to report and inform him about a conflict that occurred during a meeting held over the past weekend at the house of the paternal grandfather, Mboro.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon after school, when the children’s father arrived to pick them up, accompanied by two men, one of whom was Mboro, armed with pangas and with an assault rifle.

The deputy principal and some staff members refused to release the children without the grandmother’s permission. Teachers, acting on the grandmother’s alleged instructions, attempted to prevent the father from leaving the school grounds with the children.

This resulted in the pastor arriving at the school with bodyguards and weapons. He threatened the teachers with a panga, allowing the father to leave with the children.

The community became involved after realising there was commotion at the school. The principal, School Governing Body (SGB), reported the matter to the police.

The Child Protection Unit is set to mediate the situation.

“The safety and well-being of our students and educators is of the utmost importance. Such acts of violence and intimidation not only undermine the foundation of our educational system, but they also have the potential to traumatise the entire school community, especially since the incident occurred in front of young children and their teachers.

“The Department is committed to ensuring that justice is served in this case. We will not tolerate any acts of violence or intimidation, and we will take all necessary measures to protect our students and teachers,” said Chiloane.

Psycho-social support will be provided to the affected teachers and students to help them cope with the trauma caused by this incident.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edwin Naidu

Another year, another racism probe involving students at a school in South Africa. The furore over the incident at Pretoria High School for Girls is understandable.

Indeed, three decades after democracy, the stories unfolding at the school have more to do with the failings of our education system than the racist hearts which engulf our society.

Gauteng MEC for Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation Matome Chiloane has launched another probe after the 12 learners accused of racism were cleared of misconduct. 

The evidence to convict the pupils was not strong enough. 

Chiloane is empowered to probe further, but this is a waste of resources. The South African Human Rights Commission says many complaints it received relate to racism. South Africa is a nation divided. 

Many believe that the so-called “Rainbow Nation”, a term coined by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu around the time of democracy, has been a false dawn. Incidents like the one at the Pretoria school and many similar unsavoury incidents throughout the country show how democracy has not grown. 

Thirty years after our first democratic elections, this appalling racism continues to manifest itself in varying ways. 

The question is whether another investigation by the MEC into the same incident will yield a different result. After all, this school has a history of racist incidents. 

One does not need another investigation to find out whether the girls are guilty of racism. Their conduct is despicably racist even if they were cleared of wrongdoing because of a lack of evidence. 

This shows that perpetrators can be protected through whatever means, highlighting a more significant societal problem. The racists do not know they’re racist. Or they pretend that they’re part of the so-called new South Africa. 

As the man in charge of education in Gauteng’s economic capital, Chiloane should petition the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, to introduce anti-racism teaching from preschool to Grade 1 and throughout the schooling curriculum. 

This should ensure that racism is nipped in the bud at schooling, avoiding instances like the ugly behaviour of expelled Stellenbosch University student Theuns du Toit, who urinated on the property of fellow student Babalo Ndwayana. 

South Africa has laws to deal with racism. But is it enough? The racist girls of Pretoria could very well be punished, but will they learn unless the system addresses their deficiency in respecting all human beings?

In March 2021, former MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi wrote that basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, freedom of expression, justice, non-discrimination, human dignity, fairness, equality, respect, and independence. These values are defined and protected by law to emphasise that everyone counts.

As a leader in education, he suggested that human rights education be incorporated in the school curriculum to promote peace, democracy and social order. 

This call was fueled by the World Conference on Human Rights Declaration of Human Rights Education (HRE) as key to promoting and achieving stable and harmonious relations among communities and fostering mutual understanding, tolerance, and peace. 

The UN has urged all member countries to promote and include HRE in their school systems.

Article 26(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

That’s why Chiloane should focus on the bigger picture rather than setting another example to the young racists. 

As the country with one of the best laws in the world, what good is it when citizens are none the wiser about democracy, freedom of speech, justice, equality, human dignity, solidarity, and peace?

It’s time for the Bill of Rights to become part of the curriculum – a suitable punishment for the racist learners – and their parents at Pretoria High are compelling them to memorise the Bill of Rights. 

Edwin Naidu is Inside Education Editor. 

Nkhensani Chauke

The Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane will be launching an independent investigation into Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG) to determine whether a culture of racism exists at the school.

The probe follows the lifting of the suspension of twelve Grade 12 learners who were charged with acts of racism and subsequently found not guilty by the School Governing Body (SGB) and returned to school.

According to the report outlining the charges and ruling, the SGB found the implicated learners not guilty of the charges of violence and bullying, disruptive behaviour and violation of school rules due to insufficient evidence.

However, the GDE wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of the hearing and spokesperson Steve Mabona said the MEC has launched the investigation to determine if the culture of racism exists at the school. The investigation will focus on the suspensions of allegations of racism which were not included in the initial disciplinary process by the school, he said.

The MEC will institute the investigations looking at the allegations of racism in the entire school community, said Mabona. “This probe that the MEC has decided to pursue will not investigate the 12 learners but rather the allegations that racism exists at the school”.

The spokesperson said the department received the report on Friday and took legal advice to check the elements of the allegations.

The department said it respects the outcome of the SGB ruling since it is empowered by law to initiate and facilitate disciplinary hearings against learners.

“We did receive that report and took legal advice on it to check on what are its elements. They investigated allegations of violence and bullying. We are aware that there are allegations of racism at school. We need to independently investigate these allegations,” he said.  

Mabona said 12 pupils were suspended for statements made in a white only WhatsApp group that had racial connotations and displayed microaggressions.

The school principal Phillipa Erasmus remains suspended for not acting against racism at the school.

The department says it will unveil a diversity program at the school focusing on the parents body, learners and employees.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johannah Malogadihlare

THE Gauteng Education (GDE) MEC Matome Chiloane is expected to meet Gauteng Youth Brigade (GYB) candidates after their protest last week over the renewal of their contracts.

GYB beneficiaries at the Sol Plaatjie House in Tshwane staged a protest, in an attempt to lock down the building and demand permanent employment.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Sihle Mzizi said they demanded answers from both the Premier as well as Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

“We have locked down the place, nobody is going inside, nobody is coming outside,” Mzizi said.

In a written communication seen by Inside Education, Chiloane’s office said the meeting will take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday after the contracts for 32,000 teaching assistants ended on 31 July prompting a protest by the beneficiaries who said Premier Panyaza Lesufi had promised to extend it to 2025.

Speaking at Dobsonville Stadium earlier this year, Lesufi had initially promised an extension of the programme until 2025. However candidates were informed of the summary termination at the end of July.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the sudden cut was due to a lack of funding, despite the provincial government carrying the cost of the programme for six months following a drop in funding from the national education department.

“It is important to note that we no longer receive any funding from the National Department of Basic Education, consequently we have no option but to terminate the program,” he said.

Mabona said GYB were part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), started by the presidency as part of the Covid-19 relief programs to schools, funded by the National Treasury and managed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) provincially.

However, Mabona said the department has repeatedly insisted and informed the candidates that the initiative was never intended to be a permanent employment opportunity.

“The intention of this programme was to afford the youth, on a rotational basis, an opportunity to earn an income while benefiting from training and gaining experience,” he said.

He said the PYEI was managed in phases based on the availability of funds, with each phase duly advertised and the duration of which clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

Mabona confirmed that the conclusion of the initiative at the end of September last year was scheduled in all provinces, and said the Gauteng department subsequently decided to enter into new contracts with GYB candidates for a six month period which ended in July.

“The GDE fulfilled this mandate using its own resources and wishes to clarify that there was no promise to extend these contracts beyond July 2024,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION