Education department to investigate camp dispute allegations at Sincobile Secondary

The Mpumalanga Department of Education’s (DoE) spokesperson, Gerald Sambo, said they are investigating the allegations and complaints surrounding the Sincobile Secondary School’s Grade 12 exam camps.

This after the Grade 12 learners currently camping at the school for their final exams were allegedly told they might have to return home before the end of the exams due to a shortage of food. The learners reportedly threatened to boycott the exams and demanded answers.

Some of the parents, who did not wish to be named, claimed that the learners had been left unsupervised on Sunday morning, with no teacher or security guard on site. “We are allowed only one day to visit the learners, which is on Sunday afternoon. On the Sunday of November 3, the learners told us how bad things were at the camp. We were shocked to hear some noise at the school that morning, only to find that the learners had held the school treasurer hostage, demanding answers. They said the man told them the school had ran out of money to run the camp. He managed to escape and the learners were left unsupervised for the rest of the morning,” said one parent.

ALSO READ: 2022 matric results appeal still in limbo

The parents say they just want their children to finish the exams without any hiccups. “It would have been good for the school to call us to a meeting if they felt they were encountering challenges. We don’t condone the threats made by the learners to boycott the exam papers, so we are calling on the department to intervene,” added the parent.

The school governing body’s chairperson, Freddy Ngomane, has refuted these claims, saying that the camp is going smoothly. “

We have not encountered any challenges that would have required the learners to go back home before the end of their final exams. Everything is going according to plan and we are going to refill some of the groceries. The learners are happy and they even have a moment to sing and uplift their spirit just before they get into the exam hall. We all want what is best for the school and these learners,” said Ngomane.

ALSO READ: Mpumalanga delegates participate in National Department of Health summit

Sambo said even though camp arrangements such as these are made between the school and the parents, they will launch an investigation into these allegations. “We will make sure that the exams run smoothly until the end. Such arrangements are made at a school level between the school and parents. There is no policy that guides how the schools need to run these camps, but in the case of anything that might threaten the exam process, it is our duty to intervene and ensure that exams are uninterrupted until the end,” said Sambo.