The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal has strongly criticized and demanded action against 20 teachers who left their classrooms to attend a court case involving their school principal, who is facing charges of sexual assault.
TEACHERS ABSENT FROM WORK ALSO READ: Potential Imprisonment for School Bullies Aged 10 to 18 Their absence earlier this week resulted in learners being unsupervised, leading to a brawl at Woodlands Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg. As a consequence of the altercation, two students were injured, with one sustaining a knife wound to the forehead and another being struck by a belt buckle on the head.
DA spokesperson for education in KZN, Imraan Keeka, expressed strong disapproval, stating, “The fact that more than 20 teachers could simply leave the school premises, leaving chaos in their wake, is unacceptable, disrespectful, and a display of sheer impunity.”
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In a letter directed to KZN Education MEC, Keeka called for accountability, emphasizing that their actions were “disrespectful towards their responsibilities, their employer, the students, and the broader school community.” He urged that “such careless and scornful actions must be met with serious consequences.” The situation at the school resulted in student injuries due to the teacher walkout, and Keeka questioned whether appropriate measures would be taken.
SGB Appeals Ignored Keeka also disclosed that deeper issues are prevalent at the school, highlighting that pleas from the school governing body (SGB) have fallen on deaf ears, from the local school district circuit to the Head of Department’s office.
ALSO READ: ‘We Won’: Closure of ‘Unauthorized’ School Following Dreadlock Incident The SGB has alleged that they have been barred from entering the school and hindered from fulfilling their duties, with education officials reportedly attempting to dissolve the SGB.
“The DA has written to MEC Frazer requesting her rapid response team to intervene at this troubled school and uncover the situation. Whether she will take the necessary steps to address this situation – which seems to involve a contentious senior management team – remains to be seen,” concluded Keeka.
Education