The school management team of Mary Waters High School was hauled before the education department's special committee this week to explain why they have phased out Science.
The school management team of Mary Waters High School was hauled before the education department's special committee this week to explain why they have phased out Science.
The Mary Waters matric class of 2016 will be the last group to write the Physical Science paper, after the school decided to stop offering the subject.
A task team has been set up by the department to investigate the subject saga, district education head Amos Fetsha said.
The committee consists of schools curriculum head Bongani Stemper, Education Development Officer of Mary Waters Ruben Solwandle and Chief Education Specialist for management and governance of schools Nomgcobo Futshane.
Speaking to Grocott's Mail on Wednesday, Fetsha said the findings of his team would be then presented to him on Tuesday.
"My team's engagement with the school management is to find out the factors that led them to take the decision.
My team will also advise me on the way forward," said Fetsha.
The department of education is expected to conclude their investigation today (Friday) on the subject saga.
In last week's interview with Grocott's Mail, principal Faith Coetzee said lack of interest in the subject by pupils, along with lack of teaching capacity led to the decision.
She was responding to questions from Grocott's Mail after a tip-off to reporters that Grade 10 Science pupils had allegedly been forced to quit the subject and study history instead.
The school's plans to drop the subject have kicked in for Grade 10s for the first time.
"The number of learners taking science has been decreasing extensively over the years.
Currently there are five science learners in matric and 19 in Grade 11," Coetzee told Grocott's Mail last week.
According to Coetzee, this situation creates a burden on other teachers.
"Learners who want to avoid science run to other subjects and create a problem of overcrowded classes".
Coetzee said it is not fair for one teacher to teach five children, while other teachers sit with classes of more than 40.
Coetzee also said the school has one qualified science teacher for Grades 11 and 12, who was also teaching Maths Literacy to Grade 10.
The science teacher is also the deputy principal of the school.
"Over the years we've been battling to get teachers at this school.
Our science teacher is overworked," Coetzee said.
With the Department of Education having tabled its plans to phase out Maths Literacy by 2016, the school's deputy will be expected to re-introduce pure Maths.
In 2011 the school lost 11 teachers after the Eastern Cape Department of Education terminated the contracts of 4 219 temporary teachers due to lack of funds.
The school was down to 27 teachers for 1 170 pupils.
It is not the first time the school has taken the decision to drop subjects.
Over the years the school has phased out critical skills subjects like Business Economics, Accounting, Pure Maths and Science for Afrikaans.
"Our responsibility is to look at the school holistically," said Coetzee.
The Grahamstown-based Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) has raised concern about the situation and vowed to investigate.
In an emailed statement to Grocott's Mail, researcher at PSAM Zukiswa Kota said, "According to Section 6A (1) of the South African Schools Act of 1996 (to which all public and independent schools must adhere), school curriculum and assessment must be determined by the Minister of Education. This includes an outline of the minimum outcomes and standards of assessment."
