POLOKWANE – A new mathematics and physical science teacher have finally been appointed at Westenburg Secondary School.
Motjatji Lebese was transferred from Dr. M.J. Madiba Secondary School and will be teaching the gr. 9, 10 and 12 learners.
“I look forward to working with the learners and to having a good relationship with my colleagues,” Lebese said.
This comes after the learners expressed their anger and frustration at not having a mathematics teacher by staging a protest in May.
The gr. 9 and 10 learners protested outside the department of education’s building, where they demanded that a mathematics teacher be appointed.
Hellen Peasall, department circuit manager, reportedly tried to calm the learners and asked them to go back to school. She promised that she would be at the school to respond to their questions within an hour.
The learners went back to school, but refused to go into class. They instead protested outside the school yard.
Because they did not have a mathematics and physical science teacher, the learners lost out on six months work, but managed to catch up within two weeks.
The learners attended classes during the last week of school and the first week of the June holidays.
They focused mostly on the important points needed for the examinations and the rest of the work was treated as revision.
The classes were held at school and the learners wrote their examinations for these subjects as well.
“The learners wrote their exams and did their practicals. We had a lot of help from neighbouring schools and we are very grateful for all their help. Luthuli Secondary School, Kuschke Agricultural High School and Hoërskool Pietersburg (PHS) borrowed their teachers to teach the learners free of charge. Noordskool supplied transport for the learners to travel from Westenburg to PHS for their practicals, and PHS availed their labs for the practicals,” Peasall said.
