Despite its being a basic right, education in the Eastern Cape is in a dire state. Pupils at Mary Waters High School have returned to school after the school was on lockdown for half a week.
Despite its being a basic right, education in the Eastern Cape is in a dire state. Pupils at Mary Waters High School have returned to school after the school was on lockdown for half a week.
Television students from Rhodes University went behind the scenes to investigate the reason for the lockdown. Their video reflects the annoyance of students, parents and teachers of this school.
It follows one pupil, matriculant Jamaine Walters, 20.
He explains why the teacher shortage has put him at such a disadvantage in terms of his marks and curriculum.
The school has been without teachers for the past few years. Despite a court order brought by the Legal Resource Centre on behalf of school governing bodies, the Department of Education has not solved the problem.
In the past, pupils have been left at a loose end during far too many numerous free periods, thanks to the teacher shortage.
To compensate for this they were given extra points, instead of marks based on merit.
Fed up with the situation, the parents formed a Crisis Committee.
A protest followed, and then the parents closed down the school for several days. Although they disagreed with the lockdown, the Legal Resources Centre helped them reach a settlement with the department.
The video reflects the process that led to the agreement.
