Times Of Swaziland: 20 FORM III PUPILS THRASHED BEFORE EXAMS

20 FORM III PUPILS THRASHED BEFORE EXAMS
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BY STANLEY KHUMALO on 23/10/2014 05:06:00


MBABANE – The future of 20 pupils was placed in jeopardy after a security
guard was ordered to lock them out of the school premises during the ongoing
Form III exams yesterday.
Majahonke Gama, a security guard at Masibekela High School, said he was ordered
by Head teacher Enock Dlamini to lock the Form III pupils out of the school.
“The pupils have to come back with their parents and stand outside the school
premises. Angangibulala nabangangena,” he said.
Gama was being questioned as to why the pupils were languishing outside the
school premises during school hours. The pupils interjected during the interview
and said they were ordered to leave the premises because they had phoned the
police to inform them of the alleged abuse they had suffered at the hands of the
head teacher.
“We made a call to the police because the head teacher severely beat us for
being absent on Monday. But we only missed school because we had no examination
and wanted to study at home,” one of the pupils said.
The pupils said they were given seven strokes each before being ordered to
arrange building bricks.
The ordeal took place on Tuesday, but they were still forced after that to sit
for their exams.
“I told the head teacher while he was thrashing us that I was suffering from
severe headaches. I had to write the exam in tears.”
Another student said the ordeal induced an asthma attack.
“Now we are just sitting here instead of studying. Our bags are locked inside
the school premises,” one learner said.
They claimed they were refused the opportunity to take their books.
The head teacher refuted ordering any pupils to leave the school.
Dlamini said he took responsibility of punishing pupils at the school, but had
not chased them away.
“I have not ordered any pupils to leave the school,” he said.
Dlamini refused to comment further, saying he had to prepare for examinations.
Two police officers, however, seemed to be more fortunate than this publication.
They managed to convene a meeting with Dlamini and a parent of a pupil.
After four hours, the pupils were summoned to the school, briefly, before being
ordered to leave again. When they were interviewed, they said the head teacher
disputed chucking them out.
“He disputed ejecting us from the school, but said we should wait outside the
school premises and would be let in when the exam was about to begin,” one
pupil said.