WORST PERFORMING SCHOOL’S HEAD GETS PROMOTION

SITSATSAWENI –Government has promoted the head teacher whose school produced the worst Standard V results in the country.

Dr Ncamsile Matsenjwa is the new Coordinator of the In-Service Department for the Ministry of Education and Training. She was promoted to the position of coordinator in November 2024. It is understood that the promotion was influenced by her expertise and accomplishments. This may be perceived as contrary to her managerial record at Sitsatsaweni Primary School which performed poorly in the Standard V examinations. Situated in the remote Lubombo Region near Siteki, the school has become one of the lowest-performing in Eswatini, with an alarming 109 failures out of 164 candidates who sat the examination.

This shockingly-high failure rate has left many parents and residents in disbelief. The results were even more baffling because the former head teacher is well-decorated with various academic gowns of excellence, particularly in the education sector. She is a qualified educator who also grooms teachers at various universities, including Amadi University College and Global University College. Matsenjwa, who has been the Head teacher of the school since 2008, holds an impressive academic background.

She earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy Studies from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, where she graduated in a record time of three years. Matsenjwa was awarded a Post Graduate Merit Award for her outstanding academic achievements. In addition, she holds two Master’s Degrees from Midland States University in Educational Psychology and Educational Management. Despite her remarkable academic credentials and her dedication to improving education, the performance of Sitsatsaweni Primary has continued to struggle, particularly in recent years.In an exclusive interview, she shared the reasons behind the school’s poor performance, attributing them to a combination of factors beyond the school’s control. One of the major issues she identified was the inconsistency in teacher staffing.

Skeleton

“From 2019 to 2023, there was a government hiring freeze, and we lost several teachers who were never replaced. “We had to make do with skeleton staff, and in some cases, classes were taught by volunteers, which did not yield good results,” she explained. The local community’s involvement in agriculture, particularly dagga (marijuana) farming, has also had a significant impact on school’s performance.  Matsenjwa explained that during the height of the farming season, many learners would miss school to help their families.
“At times, only half the school would report for classes, especially during the second term,” she said. This lack of regular attendance, compounded by distractions at home, severely affected the students’ academic performance.

Another critical issue the head teacher pointed out was the financial struggles and health challenges faced by some of the teaching staff. “We had teachers who were struggling financially, with one teacher even earning ‘zero’ salary due to government deductions. “Some teachers had to rely on community handouts, including food donations, to survive,” she shared. She also noted that some teachers suffering from health conditions found it difficult to maintain their effectiveness in the classroom. “There have been instances where teachers suffering from conditions affecting their mental health would stand outside classrooms and shout at nothing.

“Some were even called by their doctors for medical treatment,” she added. The school’s promotion system has also come under scrutiny. She explained that over 90 learners who failed their Grade VI exams were promoted to Grade VII under questionable circumstances. They were promoted on the strength of the ministry’s directive. The reason is that the ministry was phasing out the Outcome-Based Education (OBE), replacing it with the Competency-Based Education curriculum from 2025, leaving 2 716 learners who failed in the recent examination in a lurch.  This is because government is yet to issue a directive to guide on how their fate will be handled when the new academic year begins later in January.

Academic

“They were not ready for the next level, and their poor performance in Grade VII reflected that,” she said. This lack of academic foundation contributed to the widespread failures at the school. Furthermore, Matsenjwa highlighted the lack of support from the community in prioritising education. “At one point, the school was called to a chiefdom meeting to explain why we were giving learners too much homework,” she said. Such instances further hindered the school’s efforts to foster a culture of learning and to encourage parental involvement in students’ education.

Despite these numerous challenges, Dr Matsenjwa remains committed to improving the situation. “We had to resort to volunteer teachers, who were not salaried. We also conducted online classes during holidays and throughout the year, as well as morning and afternoon sessions,” she explained. The school also held three parent meetings to strategise on how to support the 170 Grade VII learners. While the challenges at Sitsatsaweni Primary School are substantial, Dr Matsenjwa remains hopeful. She believes that with the right support and systemic changes, the school’s performance can improve.

“Addressing these underlying issues will be crucial in turning the school’s fortunes around and providing the children of Sitsatsaweni with a brighter future,” she said. The combination of socio-economic and educational challenges, both at the school and in the community, has created a difficult environment for learners and staff alike. However, other professionals are of the view that Dr Matsenjwa’s dedication to improving education in the region continues to be a driving force in the face of adversity.

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