Day one of the DA’s State of Readiness Tour (SORT) of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) schools – ahead of the all-important National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in just two weeks – has revealed disturbing conditions in the Umlazi District.
The much-anticipated tour, which kicked off last week, will cover the province’s 12 education districts during the next two weeks with the purpose of establishing interventions to date by KZN’s Department of Education (DoE) at the worst performing schools in the 2023 NSC exams.
The DA’s inspections at Umlazi schools earlier this week found that many of the issues previously affecting NSC performance are yet to be dealt with by the DoE.
During the delegations visit to Witteklip Secondary School in Chatsworth – which only achieved a pass rate of 47% in 2023 – we were informed that a lack of parental involvement was one of the key drivers behind lacklustre learner performance.
According to principal Gopi Naidu a parent/teacher meeting earlier in the year, to discuss matriculants academic performance, was only attended by two out of a total of 138 learners.
Other critical issues raised include management problems at both circuit and district level with some officials and parents of the view that corruption, misuse of funds and irregularities around the promotion of educators and selection of principals are affecting the overall performance of the school.
The delegation also interacted with Mr Vee Gani, Chairperson of the Parents Association of KZN, a body that mobilises support for embattled schools in the province.
Mr Gani believes that many of the problems faced by schools in this area can be attributed to major corruption at management level. This includes instances where principals have allegedly bought their posts for R120 000 along with claims that some Student Governing Body (SGBs) members have been intimidated into making certain appointments.
Gani further claims that corruption goes all the way to senior management within the DoE, with very little accountability when wrongdoing is exposed.
The second oversight inspection of the day was to the notorious Chatsworth Secondary School, where gangsterism and theft were cited as the main reasons for the school’s dismal 55% NSC pass rate.
The school – which underwent a R3.5 million renovation in 2017, – has nothing to show for the improvements today after gangs entered the premises, stealing everything including all the aluminium windows.
According to Principal Arthur Luckhan, some classroom blocks have not had electricity for more than two years as a result of drug addicts breaking in and stealing copper wire in order to sell it. The school is unable to fix the classroom blocks – which are now unused and cordoned off – because there is no money. This, as a result of only 7% of learners paying their school fees.
Educators also feel unsafe at school after hours, affecting lesson preparation and ultimately learning while teacher absenteeism is also an issue as the school only has 11 permanent teachers. This has led to the principal also having to teach classes.
At its peak, Chatsworth Secondary School enrolled 1 200 learners and achieved 100% pass rates. Today, parts of the school resemble a ghost town and enrolment figures have dropped to below 400 learners with parents living in the area not willing to send their children there.
After just one day of the DA’s tour, it is clear that issues around maintenance, crime, parent apathy and departmental support and strategy are at the heart of why some schools continue to underperform.
Urgent interventions are required from MEC Sipho Hlomuka and his department ahead of the NSC exams on 21 October.
The DA will present a full report to him in a bid to urgently troubleshoot the many outstanding issues affecting teaching and learning at these schools.
The DA in KZN has consistently spoken about the Good Quality Triad (GQT) in Education. This includes sound leadership at the apex, good parental involvement and well-built and maintained school infrastructure. This must be upheld is our learners are to have the opportunity to succeed.
Our matric learners in particular must be given every opportunity to do well in the 2024 NSC examinations. They can no longer be compromised by a system that does not put them first.