POLICE CALLED AS PARENTS CONFRONT ‘ABSENT’ TEACHER

MGAMUDZE – A teacher who had ‘absconded’ at Oslo Primary School was yesterday refused entry to the school by outraged parents. She was ambushed by a group of parents who had gathered at the school gate, as early as 7am, before the start of business.

Police had to intervene and whisked her away to her home for safety.
This follows another incident at the school, where about 20 parents invaded the school on Monday, calling for her removal from the school.
The numbers were, however, slightly less yesterday but the parents succeeded  in their mission as the teacher never set foot in class.

“We told her never to set foot inside the school, unless she brings with her the employer who allows her to do things willy-nilly at the school.
“ Parents felt that they could not allow her to come and go as she pleases, while their children suffered,” said a parent.
This was further corroborated by Bhekithemba Matsebula, the school committee chairperson, who said police later fetched the teacher from home for talks between parents, administration and the committee.

Police were present at the meeting, according to Matsebula.
He said the parents told the teacher to go and fetch the employer who allows her to report for work at her own time.
Matsebula said the parents felt she could no longer be trusted with the future of their offspring.
“Police advised her to go back to class after the meeting. She, however, later requested permission to be excused from the head teacher, and thereafter left,” Matsebula said.

The problems started when the teacher failed to report for duty when schools opened, late in January.

Commissioned

Information gathered is that a witch-hunt was commissioned by the school, in search of the teacher who had gone missing without anybody’s knowledge.
This publication was told that it got to a stage where members of the school committee went to her homestead to enquire about her whereabouts.
At the homestead, it was gathered that the committee members found her but she allegedly told them that the Regional Education Officer (REO) had advised her to stay at home.

It later transpired that she was afraid to go to the school because she received death threats, apparently from a faction which wants the school to jettison the legacy of the missionaries, and its name changed to one preferred by the community.

The teacher is believed by the faction to be aligned with the church which is at loggerheads with the community over the issue.
She, however, reportedly showed up for duty on Friday.

This reportedly outraged the community, as they felt ‘she had let their children down by neglecting them for such a long period.’
A decision was taken to confront the teacher for an explanation about her conduct.
Superintendent Wendy Hleta, Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the police involvement in the matter yesterday.
She said police were only there to monitor the situation.
Complain
“Police were only there to ensure that peace prevailed. We heard that a small group of community members had gone to the school to complain about something,” she said.
It was gathered that police officers advised the parents to leave the matter with the school committee.
Thabile Nxumalo, Shiselweni Regional Education Officer, acknowledged the existence of a dispute in the school.
She said the school committee paid a visit to her office with the intention to report the matter.

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