Funds shortage leads Eastern Cape education department to investigate Mthatha school principal

A classroom at fee-paying Excelsior Comprehensive School in Northcrest, Mthatha. Photos: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

• The Eastern Cape Department of Education says it is investigating the possible misuse of school funds at Excelsior Comprehensive School, a fee-paying school in Mthatha.
• This comes after learners protested over a severe shortage of textbooks and desks.
• Members of the school governing body say the school principal has failed to provide a financial report this year.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education says it is investigating the possible misuse of school funds at a fee-paying school in Mthatha.

This comes after grade 10 learners from Excelsior Comprehensive School in Northcrest held a protest, demanding textbooks and desks. The learners also complained about overcrowded classrooms, dirty toilets and poor infrastructure.

The learners set up a page on Facebook called Sicela Uncedo (we seek help) to highlight problems at the school.

They claim some teachers threatened them with expulsion for doing this.

The learners said 67 of them are sharing nine Geography textbooks. They are also short of textbooks on other subjects. Teachers confirmed this.

In some classes one desk is shared by three to four learners. Grades have to write exams in batches because of the shortage of desks.

“Some learner’s sit on a floor while others sit on their school bags,” said school governing body (SGB) chairperson Mduduzi Dlamini.

“We pay school fees and buy stationery but there are no textbooks and what is strange is that if a learner loses a book, a parent is forced to pay the money for that textbook. Where does that money go? We don’t know,” he said.

The school has more than 1,600 learners from grade R to 12. School fees start at R1,200 and go up to R4,500 per year.

SGB member Athi Ntelesa-Mangcotywa said last year the school brought in R3-million.

Ntelesa-Mangcotywa and Dlamini, who both joined the SGB last year, said they have not received a financial report from school principal Mluleki Nikelo or school treasurer Ntombovuyo Qakaza.

“For months we have been asking to have a meeting with him [Nikelo] so we can address the issues at this school. He refuses,” said Dlamini.

Dlamini informed the department about the failure to provide a financial report, and other issues at the school.

Provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the financial report sent to the department by Nikelo was not accepted because it didn’t have parents’ signatures and there were no minutes of a parents’ meeting.

In terms of matric results, Excelsior is one of the best schools in Mthatha. For years it has obtained a matric pass rate of more than 90%.

GroundUp was shown around the school by Ntelesa-Mangcotywa. The buildings look neglected. Toilets have broken doors and cracked basins, and there are leaks. We saw a collapsing ceiling and a broken floor which caused an injury to a teacher. The grade R class was so packed that learners have to leave their bags outside. In the staff room, teachers sit on broken chairs

However, the school has received considerable donations from the Motsepe Foundation; most recently, R320,000. Learners are demanding this be spent on desks, chairs and textbooks.

We met school principal Nikelo who was rushing off somewhere, and we later spoke telephonically.

He said, “I have asked the department to send us more textbooks. I’m still waiting for them to respond.”

Mtima, however, said Excelsior is a quantile 4 school that receives some support from government, but is responsible for buying its own furniture and text books. He said language textbooks had already been sent this year.

“As for desks,” Nikelo said, “I have been asking around schools to lend us desks. One school has given us desks but our number is big. We still need more.”

Nikelo said he hoped the Motsepe Foundation would allow the school to buy desks and chairs with its donation.

School treasurer Qakaza refused to answer any questions without Nikelo being present.

Questions sent to Motsepe Foundation last week were not answered.

The staff room

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