Following the teacher shortage protest and lockdown at Mary Waters High School last week, the provincial Education MEC has been dodging bullets concerning the issue in Grahamstown and the surrounding areas.
Following the teacher shortage protest and lockdown at Mary Waters High School last week, the provincial Education MEC has been dodging bullets concerning the issue in Grahamstown and the surrounding areas.
The Mary Waters Crisis Committee had a meeting with MEC Mandla Makupula on Monday in Grahamstown where he gave “his word” that he would take action within seven days.
Makupula promised to report on a solution to the problem by Monday, 11 March.
“The MEC said that he will come up with something in the seven days and he said that we have to take his word as his honour,” said Leon Trompeter, chairperson of the crisis committee.
The MEC’s evasiveness doesn’t come as a surprise to the parents.
The lack of teachers at Mary Waters has been an ongoing learning obstacle since 2011 when Makapula also promised to resolve it – but did nothing.
Trompeter said parents and teachers are not satisfied with Makupula’s actions so far and they want to see results.
“We are going to take further action if there is a negative response,” Trompeter said.
After the Mary Waters school lockdown began halfway through last week, operations went back to full functionality on Monday.
Trompeter said they hoped their protest would get a reaction from the department and since they got the reaction they wanted, there was no need to keep the school closed anymore.
Schools have also taken legal action against the provincial Department of Education, which was ordered to appoint 140 teachers, seven of whom must go to Mary Waters.
Makupula has already been held in contempt of court for failing to comply and the case continues.
