Maths teacher misses 100 lessons
Parents who have addressed the issue at meetings say their children have been victimised.
PARENTS of grade 7 pupils at Jai Hind Primary are more than a bit concerned that a certain teacher is believed to have missed a total of 100 maths lessons for a variety of reasons. The South Coast Herald received a letter from a concerned parent this week.
“At a time when the importance of maths is constantly being spoken about, and with finals about to start, what hope is there for these pupils when they reach high school?” asked the parent. The parent says that it had come to his attention that pupils have missed about 100 maths lessons thus far this year.
“I cannot believe that our children’s education is being jeopardised in such a manner. We all know that the grounding received at primary school plays an integral part in the pupil’s performance at high school and at tertiary level. With this in mind, I am appalled that this situation has been allowed to develop,” said the parent.
The parent called on the Department of Education to do a thorough investigation into the matter, which seems to have become a trend in maths teaching at the school over the past few years.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department, in 2012, workshops arranged by its officials should have taken place at the end of the school day or on Saturdays. For teachers to leave their blackboards during class time to attend training was a ‘contradiction’ of the department’s policy, it said.
Another parent said Jai Hind Primary used to be an excellent school. “Nowadays, there is just too much politics between teachers. They should put aside the politics and do what they are paid to do, which is to teach,” said another parent.
Parents who have addressed the issue at meetings say their children have been victimised. Those parents are now considering removing their children from the school due to the drop in the standard of education. “Sadly, there are some excellent teachers amongst those who are causing problems,” said the parent.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education was contacted for comment but none had been received at the time of writing.
