Teachers vow to stand by principal

03 June 2016 - 09:40 By ARON HYMAN

Western Cape teachers are backing Brian Isaacs, the principal and former anti-apartheid activist who faces dismissal for criticising his employer and having a verbal altercation with an official.It emerged yesterday that Isaacs had been found guilty of "giving false statements concerning his employer", said education department spokesman Paddy Attwell.With 39 years' teaching experience, Isaacs is regarded as a hero by many for his activism and maintaining a 99% pass rate at South Peninsula High School.Riyaadh Najaar, president of the Progressive Principals' Association and principal of Spine Road High School, has vowed to support his colleague.Najaar said the association would meet its 150 members to debate the issue and assured parents they would "not resort to any action that will infringe on the rights of children".He said the department was insensitive to the plight of teachers in township schools."It's a mountain of issues that teachers and principals have to endure on a daily basis and being at the coalface there are people at their wit's end."A lot of good teachers are thinking of moving from our township schools to the other side," said Najaar.What was critically needed, he explained, was dialogue between teachers and the department.Isaacs said one charge against him related to articles he had written in a local newspaper in which he criticised - among other things - the school curriculum, the rationalisation of teachers, and the lack of schools.The other charge relates to an altercation between himself and an education department circuit manager.Isaacs is also facing court cases for allegedly contravening a noise abatement bylaw by broadcasting political commentary and playing blaring music over his school's public address system...

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