Principal absent since January, no cleaning staff, parents have had enough

Children forced to clean toilets and classrooms, a “missing” principal, often absent teachers and between 70 and 80 pupils in a classroom. These are just some of the complaints raised by parents at Tshwane’s Rosslyn Primary School.

Two parents are livid and agreed to meet TimesLIVE Premium on condition of anonymity at one of their homes in Pretoria North.

The 37-year-old mother of one child said: “Last week a child had an upset tummy and diarrhoea. Because the ladies who always cleaned the toilets were let go, my child and others had to clean up after the sick one. My child is eight. What message about his value is the school sending to him?”

She alleged the cleaners were “fired” for “lack of budget”.

The 11-year-old daughter of the other parent was present during the interview.

I always know if the teachers did not go to school by the state of my child's clothing when she gets back home. If her clothes are clean, I know they spent the day learning. If it is dirty I know she spent most of her day playing in the dust instead of sitting in class.

—  Parent of pupil at Rosslyn Primary School 

She said: “We have to clean the classrooms every day but not the toilets. Last week the kids had to clean after one had an upset tummy, but the rest of the time the toilets stay dirty.” 

According to the parents, the school principal went on sick leave “early in January and never returned”.

“She handled the assembly at the start of the year and since then we have not seen her. If we ask, we are just told that she is on sick leave, but nobody will tell us what is wrong with her or when she will be back,” the 37-year old parent said. 

The Gauteng department of education,  however, denies that situation is as bad as painted. 

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said they were aware of the principal’s absence due to ill health.

“The said principal is on sick leave and she submitted all the necessary documents. Parents were informed about her whereabouts through school communication platforms. Consequently, an educator has been appointed as substitute teacher at the school and the deputy principal is acting,” said Mabona. 

“The school has five general assistants, furthermore, the school governing body has appointed three part time employees to assist accordingly,” he said.

On allegations that a pupil’s schoolmates cleaned up after one of the pupils fell ill at school, Mabona said: “Information at our disposal reveals that, the assistant teacher cleaned the sick pupil and supplied him with clean clothes. The teacher then called the grandmother who fetched the pupil and applauded the teacher for intervening on the matter.”

But the disgruntled parent said things at the school were not as they seemed, adding that it was even difficult for parents to gain entry into the school. They were not allowed past the security checkpoint at the gate.

“In other schools you can phone and make an appointment or just go there and ask to to see the headmaster. Rosslyn doesn’t have a receptionist any more and the security guards at the gate refuse us access. We are left high and dry at the gate.”

She shakes her head when asked if she feels the school is falling through the cracks.

“No. This school isn’t falling through the cracks. There is no school left. It has already fallen. Our children are forgotten.”

The other parent, a 36-year-old woman, said: “We used to get letters from the school about planned activities. Now we don’t even get timetables any more. Our previous principal retired last year. All of us wish she was back,” the parent said.

She sighs while staring into the distance.

“That woman carried the entire school and all the children on her back, and now the new principal is just missing.”

She alleged the children and the teachers are mostly unsupervised in a management sense.

“I always know if the teachers did not go to school by the state of my child’s clothing when she gets back home. If her clothes are clean, I know they spent the day learning. If it is dirty I know she spent most of her day playing in the dust instead of sitting in class.” 

The 37-year-old mother interrupts.

“Even when the teachers are there, very little learning is done. If you have between 70 and 80 kids in a classroom, only the first two rows pay attention. The rest talk over the teacher.”

But Mabona denied that the classes were overcrowded. 

“According to our class lists, the maximum number of pupils in a class is 41, and as such there are no classes with 70 or 80 pupils at the school,” he said. 

Mabona said according to their records, eight teachers had missed work for one or other reason this year. One was on maternity leave but had been substituted.

Another was on long sick leave, another was hospitalised, while five had taken days of sick leave on different days.