An Eastern Cape school principal and his head of department have been suspended after allegedly admitting to destroying examination papers of five pupils last year.
The education department said the two had told them that they destroyed the papers to punish the pupils for bunking extra classes in preparation for the final exams.
The school, which is in Port St Johns, is not being named as that would directly name the principal, who could not be contacted at the time of writing on Tuesday.
The pupils were in Grade 12 and the papers were for technical science.
The incident came to light after markers picked up that the names of the affected pupils were scratched off the register.
Upon investigation, it transpired that the parcel containing the scripts had the number (of the scripts) changed from 31 to 26, provincial department of education superintendent-general Temba Kojana told the Dispatch on Tuesday.
He said the conduct of the teachers was unacceptable.
One of the pupils, Mzuvukile Majali, told the Dispatch of his shock when the principal allegedly told him that his paper had been lost in Bhisho.
“When receiving my statement [of symbols] I noticed that technical science was not on the list. I then went to the school principal to get a detailed explanation of what had happen,” he said.
Majali said the principal told him that there was nothing he could do to help him.
Another pupil, Ziqondile Ntilani, said he was very disappointed at what the two teachers allegedly did. “Whatever they had against us, they did not have aright to destroy our papers. As educators their role is to brighten our future, they’ve done the opposite.” .
Children’s rights organisations have strongly condemned the actions of the principal and head of department.
Khula Community Development Project director Petros Majola said the department of education should take full responsibility for the alleged actions of the two educators.
“We will definitely take the department to court... . rest assured we will not take the matter lying down.
“They destroyed the future of those learners and suspending them, even firing them would not bring any change in the lives of those poor learners who are now facing a bleak future,” he said.
Majola said they would follow the matter until the end and “in the meantime the department must roll up their sleeves and get ready for us”.
‘Teachers destroyed exam scripts’
Principal, HoD accused of acting vindictively to punish five pupils
Image: File
An Eastern Cape school principal and his head of department have been suspended after allegedly admitting to destroying examination papers of five pupils last year.
The education department said the two had told them that they destroyed the papers to punish the pupils for bunking extra classes in preparation for the final exams.
The school, which is in Port St Johns, is not being named as that would directly name the principal, who could not be contacted at the time of writing on Tuesday.
The pupils were in Grade 12 and the papers were for technical science.
The incident came to light after markers picked up that the names of the affected pupils were scratched off the register.
Upon investigation, it transpired that the parcel containing the scripts had the number (of the scripts) changed from 31 to 26, provincial department of education superintendent-general Temba Kojana told the Dispatch on Tuesday.
He said the conduct of the teachers was unacceptable.
One of the pupils, Mzuvukile Majali, told the Dispatch of his shock when the principal allegedly told him that his paper had been lost in Bhisho.
“When receiving my statement [of symbols] I noticed that technical science was not on the list. I then went to the school principal to get a detailed explanation of what had happen,” he said.
Majali said the principal told him that there was nothing he could do to help him.
Another pupil, Ziqondile Ntilani, said he was very disappointed at what the two teachers allegedly did. “Whatever they had against us, they did not have aright to destroy our papers. As educators their role is to brighten our future, they’ve done the opposite.” .
Children’s rights organisations have strongly condemned the actions of the principal and head of department.
Khula Community Development Project director Petros Majola said the department of education should take full responsibility for the alleged actions of the two educators.
“We will definitely take the department to court... . rest assured we will not take the matter lying down.
“They destroyed the future of those learners and suspending them, even firing them would not bring any change in the lives of those poor learners who are now facing a bleak future,” he said.
Majola said they would follow the matter until the end and “in the meantime the department must roll up their sleeves and get ready for us”.
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