UPDATE: Assegai primary school shut down by incensed parents again
"How can they bring someone who doesn't know the culture of Wentworth and doesn't match the levels of the current acting principal? "
ASSEGAI Primary has been shut down by angry parents once again, after they were informed that the principal who was appointed at the start of the third term, will begin her duties on Friday, 25 August.
The parents and members of the school governing body locked down the school since Friday, preventing anyone from entering the premises.
This comes five weeks after the school governing body were assured by the department of education’s district director of the Umlazi district Bheki Ntuli that they would investigate the new principal’s appointment. Previously, the SGB and parent body also closed the school at the start of the third term for almost a week when the principal’s appointment was first made official. They had preferred the former acting school principal, Odetta Abraham-Field Abrahams as the replacement for Mr Webster. The new principal’s appointment caused a stir after parents learnt that she was only a post-level one teacher. “She does not have any proper management skills. She’s been a teacher for 18 years and an acting HOD for four months. Compare this to the rightful candidate for principal of Assegai Primary who is the deputy, Odetta Abraham-Field. Odette has been the deputy principal of this school for 24 years, HOD for 10 years and acting principal for two years. Is she not qualified enough for this position?” questioned community leader Clint Leverton.
READ: Protesting parents agree to re-open Wentworth school for third term
Member of the SGB, Clint Leverton said: “The department of education reneged on the agreement they had with us as far as the school principal is concerned. They were supposed to hold over her appointment until an investigation was done. On Thursday we received an email from the department in which they advised us they were bringing her in on Friday, 25 August. We had a meeting with the parents to inform them about the email and they decided to shut down the school again.”
The parents and SGB are resolute in their claim that their fight against the new principal has nothing to do with race, contrary to popular belief. “There is nothing racist about this fight.We are simply saying let’s compare the two qualifications between Sharon Ndlovu (the education department’s appointed principal) and Abrahams,” added Leverton.
Parent, Mrs Lawson is livid at the appointment. “How can they bring someone who doesn’t know the culture of Wentworth and doesn’t match the levels of the current acting principal? How can the education department do as they please without consulting the parents of the school? This is unfair on the education of the children. All we want is the best for them but are getting an underqualified head. We will protest as long as we can. As parents we won’t stop and we won’t grow tired until something positive happens,” she said.
Attempts to contact the education department for comment were unsuccessful, however this story will be followed up on the Sun’s website www.southlandssun.co.za
