MBONGWA’S PUPILS SUFFER ACADEMIC LOSS

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.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: