With an average of 14 out of 53 teachers not reporting for duty daily since March and pupils using smartboards to connect their cellphones to play music and watch movies all day, TM Letlhake Secondary School has set itself up as one of Gauteng’s worst schools.
On Thursday, Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona released a statement that they had appointed an administrator to deal with issues at Letlhake. He said district office officials held a meeting with parents to discuss issues affecting the school. There was no teaching again..
On Wednesday Sowetan visited the school and found angry parents at the West Rand school barricading the entrances.
They prevented pupils from entering the premises, demanding that the department appoint a new principal.
The school has had an acting principal since the beginning of the year when the principal fell ill.
During Sowetan's visit, there was no evidence of lessons taking place at the school plagued by gangsterism and violence, which has resulted in teachers afraid of going to work.
Fights among pupils reportedly often break out, some involving stabbings. Three pupils ended up in hospital last month after such fights.
More than five stabbing incidents among pupils were reported at the school between August and this month.
Teacher absenteeism is so rife that some pupils' books showed they last had lessons early this year. Three learners showed Sowetan their books indicating that geography and history were last taught in February and March in grade 11, while English lessons last sat in August.
On Wednesday, dozens of pupils were seen loitering in groups outside the classrooms while others were spotted sitting by the fence and a few were seen in classrooms. Teachers were in the administration block when Sowetan visited the school yesterday.
Some teachers were observed leaving the school as early as 12.30pm.
According to a report compiled by the security task team, which was set up in March and is made up of parents, out of 53 teachers who are meant to educate 1,640 learners, about 14 of them bunk work. This figure spikes after the 15th of the month, their payday.
“Fourteen teachers can be absent in a day and others will exit the school before knocking-off time, while others come to school late. A responsible principal or an administrator is needed who will be permanently deployed at the school. Let the code of conduct be implemented at the school,” read the report.
The report said certain classes were treated as “no-go areas” by teachers who fear pupils believed to be linked to gangs.
According to a group of learners, the classrooms have been turned into places of entertainment, with some bringing cellphones to play music and watch movies.
“Some of us come to school to play music and to hangout with our friends. We have not received our second term reports because we did not write any exams. I don’t know what will happen in the upcoming final exams but surely the teachers will make a plan because they will also be in trouble for not teaching us anything during the year,” said one grade 11 pupil.
Teacher absenteeism and violence have over the years negatively affected the school’s academic performance. Last year it was ranked among the worst performing schools in Gauteng with a 38% pass rate for grade 12 – a big drop from the 53% it achieved in 2020.
“The few teachers that report for work mostly focus on the grade 12s. The grade 12s are treated differently because their results will be announced publicly and there is pressure from the government for the school to deliver improved results in this year’s grade 12 exams,” said a member of the school’s task team, Nontsikelelo Bala.
Parents have previously engaged the department about their concerns without success. In a desperate move, last month, angry parents removed 50 pupils claiming they were part of gangs. The parents said the group would undergo a disciplinary process, which is yet to be concluded. Mabona said the law allowed parents to remove ill-disciplined pupils from the school.
However, Sowetan understands that some of those pupils have since returned to school without attending a hearing.
A member of the school governing body declined to comment when approached about the situation at the school.
Mabona did not respond to Sowetan queries about the disciplinary procedure against the suspended learners, teacher absenteeism and delayed curriculum.
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