Sotinini High School in Peddie, Eastern Cape, has 84 learners,two teachers and a school principal. Photo supplied
30 June 2017
Parents at Sotinini High School in Peddie, Eastern Cape, fear that their children will fail grade 12 as there is no English teacher and students cannot pass matric without passing English.
The school had four teachers but the English teacher went on pension earlier this year and another teacher passed away last year. The remaining two teachers and the principal have to teach all seven subjects for grade eight to grade 12.
Parents say they have sent a number of letters to the education department. The department promised to send officials to meet with parents, but the official cancelled at the last minute. Since then, there has not been any communication. Parents continue to send letters to the department’s office in King William’s Town, but have had no response, they say.
Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Education Malibongwe Mtima said, “The school has fewer than 90 learners, meaning two teachers are enough, because we allocate one teacher for 30 learners.”
But the chairperson of the school’s governing body, Collen Mahlakahlaka, said with no English teacher the school risks getting a 0% matric pass rate. This comes after years of struggling to improve, with the pass rate climbing from just 23% in 2015 to 43% in 2016.
This article has been changed to correct the spelling of the school.