KZN unions raise alarm over ongoing teacher boycott at Umkhumbane Secondary
The department has met with unions, parents and school management, with officials requesting two weeks to engage stakeholders and report back on solutions.
Teachers’ unions in KwaZulu-Natal say they are unhappy with how the provincial education department is handling the situation at Umkhumbane Secondary School.
More than 20 teachers have reportedly not returned to work since a Pietermaritzburg High Court judgement over the installation of cameras in classrooms.
The educators said they were not consulted by the principal about the decision, but the court ruled last month that the cameras should not be removed.
How has the school been affected by the boycott?
The School Governing Body has had to temporarily hire new educators as a result of the teachers' boycott.
KZN Education has met with school management, parents and unions.
Spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi says they discussed possible solutions to the challenge.
“When [MEC Sipho Hlomuka] summarised the engagement, he did chart a way forward, which was, in a nutshell, requesting parents to give us two weeks to go back to engage with all other affected stakeholders. Then after two weeks, we'll report back. In the meantime, he implored that teaching and learning should not be disturbed.”
Parents express frustration over ongoing disruptions
However, Natu's Mathemba Mabija says the matter has been dragging on for months and the department should have handled it better.
“Parents made it clear to the MEC to say they are no longer interested in having those educators in their school on the basis that they have left or abandoned their children for the past three months. [The] parents [allege] that those educators undermined the parents of the school.”
SADTU's Nomarashiya Caluza says the issue requires further engagement.
“The MEC was supposed to engage parents of learners who are enrolled. Unfortunately, in that meeting, there were also people who have nothing to do with this, people who do not have children, just community members.
“In terms of the South African Schools Act, there's no space for such an engagement, especially on issues that pertain to the Employment of Educators Act and issues of discipline and all of that.”
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