Teachers and a school principal accused of irregularities during Grade 12 examinations more than a year ago are yet to face sanctions from the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Mercury understands that the irregularities relate to “negligence or allowing copying” during the NSC examination last year.
Members of the Education Portfolio Committee were recently briefed on this and other serious allegations of misconduct by the department’s staff.
Two cases were detailed that the committee members found concerning. One involved the NSC irregularities that implicated teachers and principal, while the other concerned a department official who had signed off on a project to trigger payment despite the project being flagged for poor workmanship.
The payment was not made, and the official, although facing an investigation into the matter, is now working in another section of the department, something committee members found distasteful. They stated that the employee should not be on the department’s premises after such conduct.
Regarding the NSC allegations, the department revealed that learners implicated in the allegations have been sanctioned, but it is having difficulty dealing with teachers, as they “have tricks” that prolong action against them.
Committee member Slindokuhle Mkhize stated that last year there was a case of irregularities with the NSC exams, and the individual responsible is still overseeing these exams.
“I do not think it is acceptable that our (department) investigation is very slow. You cannot have the same people overseeing the NSC exams when they were allegedly involved in irregularities just the previous year,” said the committee member.
DA KZN spokesperson on Education Sakhile Mngadi expressed concern that a principal who was at the school when the alleged irregularities occurred is still at the school. “We know there is some kind of wrongdoing, but we are not seeing consequence management and the follow-up of the consequence management.”
Mngadi told The Mercury that the allegations concerned an incident of copying at the school, “we found out during an oversight visit that the principal and teachers had not faced any consequences, yet the pupils had. They (the department) are very quick with the pupils but slow with their officials.”
Committee member Fikile Masiko stated, “A year down the line, we have had consequences against learners, but we have not heard anything done against the teachers. This must be addressed speedily. We must not allow a situation where we move from one exam to the next without something being done. We know it was not only the learners that were involved, and if the teachers have admitted guilt on their own, something must have been done by now.”
Chairperson of the committee, Mncedisi Maphisa, agreed that the department has been too lenient towards individuals engaging in irregular activities. “I am very much troubled by what you are saying. You are telling us that you have a policy of harbouring criminals. This person is still in the same department, merely shifted from one place where they were doing wrong to another place where they could do more wrong.”
Department official Mbongiseni Mazibuko said that they had dealt with the learners implicated in the irregularities, but the teachers were more difficult to discipline. He said the principal of the school is scheduled to face a disciplinary hearing on November 24.
“It is difficult to deal with teachers as they have tricks they play that prolong the process. They might say they are sick or that their representatives are not available, but we are dealing with the situation,” he said.
Head of the department, Nathi Ngcobo, stated that the concerned principal was still at the school but not involved with exams.
He said they are imposing sanctions on errant workers and they have a number of people who have been suspended.
“The fact that you have been moved to another part of the department does not mean the case against them has disappeared. We look at the gravity of the matter and the potential to cause further damage when we consider suspension.”
THE MERCURY
