Video: School without teachers

The teacher shortage at the school is so dire that pupils this week attacked the few remaining teachers and members of the school governing body – accusing them of not doing enough to remedy the situation.

Only Xhosa, agricultural science and physical science are offered at the school in matric – with other subjects like English, history, maths, life science and life orientation taking a back seat due to teacher shortages.

To make matters worse, the school is also leaderless as the principal resigned in August last year – with Equal Education describing the situation at Mathumbu as a “state of emergency”.

Two teachers have been on sick leave for more than six months.

The school caters for over 300 pupils and runs from Grade 10 to Grade 12 – servicing 15 villages around Willowvale.

It is no wonder that the school only managed a paltry 12% pass rate in last year’s matric exams.

Its 2014 results are still outstanding, pending the finalisation of an investigation into alleged cheating at the school.

Their 2013 results also raised eyebrows after the school recorded an impressive 97.1% – amid quiet murmurs of alleged cheating.

This was because the school had come from a low base, recording a less than 50% pass rate in the preceding three years.

But it looks like the school’s poor form is set to continue as little teaching takes place.

Frustrated pupils pelted their teachers and school governing body members with stones this week.

Others asked to be transferred to other schools far away. The remaining teachers were too shy to be interviewed.

SGB chairman Mainreef Dyalvan described the situation as dire.

“Another teacher had to leave the school after he absconded for more than a year while drawing a salary every month,” he said.

“We don’t want to see our school closing down,” said Dyalvan.

Mathumbu has one block of six classes with no ceiling. Most classes have broken window panes while three old zinc structures are used as a library, store room and a kitchen.

Teachers use a nearby church house as a staff room. The school’s yard is poorly fenced while pupils and teachers share 10 temporary toilets near the school’s garden.

Provincial education spokesman Mali Mtima said the department was attending to the school’s crisis.

“What is happening at that school is a serious problem but the department is attending to it. Our main focus here is the school child who needs to receive education,” said Mtima.

Local traditional leader Chief Nosintu Manxiwa said the school was once a hub of education for the area.

“Many people have graduated from this school. It’s hurting us to see that it’s on the brink of closing because of a shortage of teachers,” said Manxiwa.

He said they demanded that:

lA principal be appointed;

lSubject teachers be appointed;

lNew classrooms were built;

lSchool library and learner support material be provided;

lPlaygrounds be provided; and

lToilets for pupils and staff.

One of the parents, Mandisa Kona, said they were reluctant to remove their children from the school.

“We can’t hide that there are village gangs who target pupils who study from distant villages,” she said.

Mathumbu is one of 19 schools in the Eastern Cape which made headlines in January last year when the department of education exposed group copying in the 2014 matric exams.

Grade 12 pupil Noluvo Tobindawo said theirs was a forgotten school.

“What do we need to do to get attention? Assault or damage our school? All we ask for is attention,” she said.

Equal Education’s David Carel said the education crisis in the province did not seem to be a national priority.

“We are appalled and deeply saddened to continue seeing states of emergency like this in schools across the province.

“The department has virtually collapsed, yet the minister

and her Section 100 intervention team are nowhere to be found,

nor did the president mention basic education once at Sona,” he said.

Carel said they were exploring legal action with their lawyers at the Equal Education Law Centre to ensure that Mathumbu pupils had teachers at their school. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za