Matrics punished for wanting to learn

Five matric pupils from a school in Ekurhuleni have been suspended. Their transgression? Complaining about not having a maths teacher for months.

Eden Park Secondary School has been roasted by NGO Equal Education for abusing its power.

"You would expect that the principal would support these pupils because, actually, they are trying to get more [human] resources for the school," said Doron Isaacs, the deputy general secretary of the NGO. "I am not sure why the school is taking action against them instead of supporting them. It is completely wrong. These pupils are exercising their citizenship and their rights.

"These pupils have been punished twice. First because they are attending a school without resources . And they are being punished again when they raise this issue," said Isaacs.

The last time the pupils had a maths lesson was on February 4.

With the June examinations looming, they sought answers from the principal but could not secure a meeting with him.

Last month, the pupils took a bold step - out of class during school hours to complain to the Gauteng department of education.

Following a report in The Times about their plight, the department appointed a mathematics teacher. But the school suspended the pupils and charged them with the following:

• Leaving school premises without permission;
• Disobeying the deputy principal when he warned them not to leave; and
• Bringing the school's name into disrepute by speaking to The Times.

The pupils were suspended from May 6 and are to face disciplinary action on Monday.

One of them, Larry Varrie jnr, faces additional charges for inciting his peers to act.

At a parents' meeting last month his father, Larry Varrie, questioned the school principal about the absence of the maths teacher.

"He said he was not at liberty to discuss the matter," Varrie said. "My son did nothing wrong. All he did was complain."

A Gauteng department of education spokesperson, Phumla Sekhonyane, said it was concerned about the charges.

"We will engage the [governing body] on this charge. We will also send our school interventions team. to assess the situation.''

In Khayelitsha, Cape Town, calm has been restored at Sizimisele Technical School, whose pupils last week protested at the absence of teachers in key subjects - maths, physical science and mechanical and electrical engineering - for a month.

In November, the contracts of six teachers were not renewed. They continued to teach this year without pay. But, despite receiving a travel stipend from the school governing body, the teachers could not continue working.

A spokesman for the Western Cape education department, Paddy Attwell, said extra classes had started at the school on Monday.

"The school already had nine teachers in excess of requirements, because of a drop in pupil numbers. This meant that the school had 15 extra teachers," said Attwell. "The school apparently employed the six teachers because the teachers in excess of requirements could not teach certain technical subjects."

The department has appointed four teachers to teach technical subjects. District officials have helped to rearrange the timetable and redistribute the workloads.

Kedebone Legoale, a grade 11 pupil, said they had finally received their reports and grade 12 pupils could apply to tertiary institutions.