26 Mar 2017

Kweneng District Commissioner, Dr Temba Mmusi has implored Mphuthe JSS teachers and their headteacher to smoke a peace pipe for the general good of the school.
Speaking at a heated emergency meeting to quell tempers between the two at the school recently, Dr Mmusi advised that the mandate of the school was to deliver effective teaching and education which could only be achieved under serenity and teamwork.
He said any differences of such nature as existing at Mphuthe JSS would ultimately work against the whole objective as it demoralised all the concerned stakeholders.
Dr Mmusi also said most of the differences that exist at the school were mainly administrative and could be solved through the usual channels in the education structure.
The emergency meeting was called after teachers at the school allegedly abstained from their daily duties after complaining of what they viewed as draconian management style by the headteacher, which they said had been ongoing for some time.
They complained among others that the headteacher informed a Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting that students were complaining about the behaviour of the teachers, saying they have a tendency of dodging classes, using vulgar language against them and excessive punishment.
They said he did this without first consulting them to ascertain whether the allegations by students were true. Teachers said this has corroded their reputation and working relations with parents such that parents have started sending them messages threatening to assault them should they find them in the village.
The teachers requested that a similar forum be called by the headteacher to put the record straight and iron out the poor relations between them and parents.
They said this has now put their lives at risk. Teachers also complained that the headteacher has put stringent measures in place to control their movement, such as the introduction of a clocking sheet at the school gate which they said was indecent.
They instead suggested the clocking sheet should be placed either at the staffroom or with leaders of houses. Teachers also complained that taxis were barred from entering the school premises, which they said violated their privacy and was also a challenge as the staff houses were further down the school in cases they have heavy luggage.
For his part, the school head, Mr Lazarus Gadiinewe explained that when he came to the school in 2015 he was given a mandate by parents to improve the academic performance.
He said he did a needs assessment and analysis with all stakeholders such as the school’s top management, Students Representative Council and staff members and that each did their input on the causes of poor performance as well as possible remedies.
“One of the terms of reference of the needs assessment was to keep a hawk eye on the teaching staff because there were complaints that most teachers were normally found gracing bars in the village during working hours, and parents also said their children often complained that teachers had a tendency of dodging classes. I was then given the deadline of January this year to have addressed that situation,” he said. ENDS