A desperate group of pupils at an East London school have been trying to teach one another life sciences since the beginning of the year because the department of education has failed to replace the subject teacher, who retired last year.
And the months of frustration came to a head yesterday at Sakhikamva High School when the fed-up pupils protested, demanding they be allocated a subject teacher.
The pupils at the Nompumelelo, Beacon Bay school said without their life sciences teacher, the majority of Grade 10 to 12 pupils had failed the subject in their March exams.
They now fear they might go into the crucial mid-year exams still without a teacher.
Grade 12 pupils – who must use their June exam results to apply for places at tertiary institutions – led their juniors in the protest.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived at the school around mid-morning, more than 600 pupils at the school had gathered on the school quad.
They were holding placards and chanting struggle songs while a staff meeting took place.
The pupils, who asked not be named saying they feared they might be victimised for speaking out, said when the life sciences teacher first retired last year, a replacement was sent to the school. However, that teacher was only there for about three weeks.
“This is a response to the principal and the department of education’s many failed promises to appoint a life sciences teacher.
“We are expected to have a 100% pass rate at the end of the year, but the department has failed to play their part, which is making sure there is a teacher to teach us,” said one pupil.
The matric pupils said they were able answer some of the questions in the March life sciences paper only after trying to teach themselves using the available study materials.
“Because we do not want to fail, we decided to teach each other and that helped us to have some knowledge as we went into the paper last term.”
A Grade 11 pupil said they did not sit down to write the life sciences exam, but instead were given a practical assignment, which none of them achieved the pass mark for.
The pupils vowed not go back to class and threatened to boycott mid-year exams if a teacher for this subject was not appointed immediately.
When asked for comment, school principal Lucky Macozoma simply said: “The person who called you here must give you a comment. I have nothing to say to you.”
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said they would follow up on the matter with the district director to establish why the retired teacher was not replaced.
Mtima said the responsibility to hire a post level 1 teacher was the responsibility of district directors.
By about midday, the pupils said Macozoma had assured them that a life sciences teacher would be sent to the school on Monday. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Pupils protest failure to replace teacher
And the months of frustration came to a head yesterday at Sakhikamva High School when the fed-up pupils protested, demanding they be allocated a subject teacher.
The pupils at the Nompumelelo, Beacon Bay school said without their life sciences teacher, the majority of Grade 10 to 12 pupils had failed the subject in their March exams.
They now fear they might go into the crucial mid-year exams still without a teacher.
Grade 12 pupils – who must use their June exam results to apply for places at tertiary institutions – led their juniors in the protest.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived at the school around mid-morning, more than 600 pupils at the school had gathered on the school quad.
They were holding placards and chanting struggle songs while a staff meeting took place.
The pupils, who asked not be named saying they feared they might be victimised for speaking out, said when the life sciences teacher first retired last year, a replacement was sent to the school. However, that teacher was only there for about three weeks.
“This is a response to the principal and the department of education’s many failed promises to appoint a life sciences teacher.
“We are expected to have a 100% pass rate at the end of the year, but the department has failed to play their part, which is making sure there is a teacher to teach us,” said one pupil.
The matric pupils said they were able answer some of the questions in the March life sciences paper only after trying to teach themselves using the available study materials.
“Because we do not want to fail, we decided to teach each other and that helped us to have some knowledge as we went into the paper last term.”
A Grade 11 pupil said they did not sit down to write the life sciences exam, but instead were given a practical assignment, which none of them achieved the pass mark for.
The pupils vowed not go back to class and threatened to boycott mid-year exams if a teacher for this subject was not appointed immediately.
When asked for comment, school principal Lucky Macozoma simply said: “The person who called you here must give you a comment. I have nothing to say to you.”
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said they would follow up on the matter with the district director to establish why the retired teacher was not replaced.
Mtima said the responsibility to hire a post level 1 teacher was the responsibility of district directors.
By about midday, the pupils said Macozoma had assured them that a life sciences teacher would be sent to the school on Monday. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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