News24.com | Learning comes to a halt at Eastern Cape school, teachers fear for their safety

There has been no learning and teaching at Tungweni Juniour Secondary School. Photo: Duncan Alfreds

• Teaching and learning have come to a standstill at Tungweni Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape as parents demand the appointment of a new principal.
• According to the provincial education department, they are unhappy about the changes the acting principal made.
• Teachers have not reported for duty since February because they fear for their safety.

There has been no teaching and learning at Tungweni Junior Senior Secondary in Ngqeleni in the Eastern Cape since February because teachers refuse to attend the school out of fear for their safety.

Their fears were sparked when community members closed access roads to the school because they were unhappy about changes the acting principal had made, according to the provincial education department. They wanted him and the teachers who supported him to leave.

The school in Zinduneni village offers schooling from Grades R to 9.

A parent, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal, said the problem started when the school's principal retired in 2022.

She said: 

The day that they protested was the last time teachers reported for duty, the parent added.

"I have four kids at the school, and I am also an education assistant at the school. Since the teachers don't bother coming to school, we teach the children using workbooks. That does not do much for their education, but it helps to keep them away from the streets. I have tried to take my children to other schools, but they need a transfer letter, and there is no one to do it here," she said.

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Parents told News24 they were worried because pupils had not written exams at the end of the first term.

They also worry that pupils will be unable to write the second-term exams.

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Mali Mtima said the department was aware of the challenges at the school.

"The school had an acting principal who brought about much-needed changes. Parents were told they could no longer come and go as they pleased at the school because they were disturbing classes. The acting principal said they needed to set an appointment if they needed something at the school. Parents were also told to attend parents' meetings. The acting principal also stopped teachers [from only attending] school when they felt like it," Mtima added

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He said community members and some teachers were not happy about the changes.

This then led to the community closing access roads to the school. They demanded that the acting principal and the teachers who supported him leave the school.

"The teachers said they could not return to school as they feared for their lives. Some of them were redeployed to other schools. The school continued haphazardly in the past weeks, and the department is working on hiring a new principal. To make up for the time lost, there will be extra classes," Mtima said.