Dutywa matrics told to return to their districts three weeks into school year

A group of about 40 grade 12 pupils at a school in Dutywa have been left high and  dry after being told to return to their districts of origin for their matric year.

The baffling decision affecting pupils from Dinizulu Senior Secondary School, which falls under the Amathole district municipality, was apparently conveyed by the school principal at a parents’ meeting on Tuesday.

The directive allegedly came from the education department’s district director, Vuyisile Mkentane.

Some pupils at the school come from Mbizana in the Alfred Nzo district and Mthatha in the OR Tambo district.

The WhatsApp message, allegedly from the district director, has been seen by DispatchLIVE.

“Colleagues let me clear this habit of bringing learners who are not budgeted for as well as causing unnecessary burden on resources at Amathole is mostly at Idutywa CMC,” a part of the message reads.

“These learners must go back to their district[s] before registration is closed at their districts.

“No learner from outside the district should be registered in Grade 12. Any official found to be conniving with this or involved in registering against this instruction will face consequences. My office has instructed both Emis to collect this data.”

Angry parents told DispatchLIVE that the meeting was about progress being made at the school, including its matric results. However, at the end of the meeting parents were informed of the decision to move their children.

On Wednesday morning, some pupils protested the decision at the school gate, preventing entry by teachers and other pupils.

School governing body chair, treasurer Edward Mpiyonke, said parents were shocked by the announcement as “many children from other districts matriculated here”.

Mpiyonke said the SGB supported  pupils who wanted to remain at the school.

“It would be better if this was said earlier, before schools opened,” Mpiyonke said.

“The principal was called on Monday about this announcement to us. It is shocking. Where will these children go now? They were crying when we told them this. They chose this school for a reason. We were just celebrating a pass mark of more than 80%, and this has left a dark cloud.”

A parent from Mthatha, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of her daughter being victimised, said she has already paid registration and school fees.

Her daughter rents a flat near the school like many pupils from outside the town.

She said: “Where will they find other schools now? As parents, this is costing us a lot, and for the children it’s even more difficult. We had to console them. They have been in classes for three weeks now.

“Our problem is that government says it’s every child’s right to get quality education. This is forcing our children to sell their bodies, because no other schools will take them now. This is hampering their future. I sent her to this school because it’s a good school.”

Another concerned parent said a delegation of parents and pupils went to meet with the district director to plead their case of keeping the pupils at the school.

Provincial education department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said the school had been found to be either lacking a clearly defined admission policy, and are flouting the department's admission policy regarding Grade 12.

He said a school may not admit new pupils in Grade 12 unless by special concession of the district director and  the concession is usually considered in cases of relocating civil servants who have to move to new locations for work purposes.

"In this instance clearly the school is only admitting allegedly failed learners from other schools and districts sometimes even at the expense of their own failed learners. This creates logistical challenges as this influx across district lines is not accompanied by allocations for school nutrition and learner support materials.

"This will inevitably create unbearable shortages for the learners in the school.The district is therefore implementing regulations without fear or favour.

"School principals would do well to avoid tendencies that may be construed to be artificial means of inflating numbers of learners in their schools at the expense of stability."

ziyandaz@dispatch.co.za