Times Of Swaziland: MBONGWA’S PUPILS  SUFFER ACADEMIC LOSS

MBONGWA’S PUPILS  SUFFER ACADEMIC LOSS
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Timothy Simelane on 05/11/2022 07:21:00


MBABANE – The children’s future hangs in the balance.
Concerned Moyeni High School committee representatives engaged the Ministry of
Education and Training on possible solutions to the absence of a maths and
science teacher since the beginning of the year. The teacher, Swaziland National
Association of Teachers (SNAT) President Mbongwa Dlamini had allegedly not
reported for duty for some days, resulting in a panic by some parents who failed
to understand why their children’s exercise books maintained a clean sheet for
many days.
Dlamini stands accused by his employer, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC),
of having absented himself from school for 109 days. However, Dlamini has always
shrugged away the allegations of absenteeism, saying he always reported to his
supervisor when going away to attend SNAT activities. Eswatini News reliably
gathered that officials from the Ministry of Education had visited the school to
get first-hand information on the progress made by pupils in the classes taught
by Dlamini. It was after this visit that the TSC established the exact number of
days on which Dlamini was allegedly absent. Two representatives of the school
committee - Chairperson Nomcebo Khoza and Chief’s Runner Jabulani Thwala - had
a meeting with officials from the ministry to ask for a solution to the matter,
saying that the future of their children hung in the balance.
Bitter
Thwala revealed to Eswatini News this week that parents were bitter upon
realising that their children had not made any meaningful progress in the
classes that Dlamini taught. The parents said they were worried that pupils did
not learn their subject at all because he was busy. “This then prompted us to
start investigating what SNAT is all about and why it was keeping the teacher
away from class. When we went to Mbabane we wanted to find out what the law says
about such a teacher and to get advice on how this issue could be resolved. This
was very painful to us,” he said. Thwala said to him it was appalling that
parents paid money for their pupils to learn, only to get news that learning did
not take place for many days. “Parents came to us saying they were worried
that learning was stalling for their children,” he said. Asked if the employer
did not suggest a remedy to save the academic loss to pupils, the ministry told
them they did not know what to do because government had already employed a
teacher. “They told us that if they were to employ another teacher, what would
happen to the one who was already employed for the class,” he said.
Examinations
Thwala could not respond to questions on possible emergency interventions ahead
of the final examinations, saying such a question could best be dealt with by
the school. The school Head teacher, Sabelo Manyatsi, referred all questions to
the regional education officer (REO). “Whenever I am confronted by such
questions, I refer people to the REO. Speak to him,” he said. The REO, Sizwe
Kunene, also said the issue could best be responded to by the Principal
Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Bheki Gama. When asked why
the pupils were made to sit in class without a teacher, Gama said he believed
that the school had made plans to keep the pupils learning in the absence of
Dlamini. “I think the REO is better placed on the issue of remedies. I would
like to believe that the school had a plan in place,” he said.
Asked if Dlamini was now back at school, he responded: “Mbongwa is a teacher
based there and he has a duty to report at his workplace.” Gama said the
school committee representatives may have had a meeting with the TSC which was
dealing with the matter and not his office. “If they did, then it was within
their rights because it is their children who are affected,” he said.
Dlamini’s first day at Moyeni High School was in early October last year after
a two-year suspension by the TSC for alleged absenteeism. He had been
transferred from Mhubhe High School, also in the Manzini Region.
Before his transfer to Moyeni, he had challenged it at the Industrial Court,
saying he had not been consulted, as a matter of principle. Two weeks ago
government said it would effect a no-work-no-pay rule on Dlamini which implied
that he would not receive his salary for the 109 days in which he allegedly
absented himself. This triggered a series of protest marches by sympathetic
teachers who want government to reinstate Dlamini’s salary.
In June Dlamini was also called to answer why he had warned teachers not to go
to work to be safe from possible violence after a ‘commander’ of the
solidarity forces had issued a statement saying June 28 would be a public
holiday.