adminNqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
THE Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Lazarus Dokora yesterday castigated teachers and school heads for physically and psychologically abusing pupils. Addressing primary and secondary education ministry officials, heads and School Development Committee chairpersons at Esigodini, Minister Dokora said it was imperative for officials to adhere to constitutional expectations.
He said there were some heads who are involved in unscrupulous ways of denying children their constitutional right to education.
“It’s as if we’ve a new constitution in this country. In one province in the northern areas the head was actually sending senior teachers to beer gatherings to warn parents that they shouldn’t bring their children to school if they don’t have levies,” Minister Dokora said.
He singled out the head of Dumezweni Primary School in Pumula South as a major culprit saying she demands that parents pay levies for two school terms among other things before enrolling Early Childhood Development children.
“This is where the Dumezweni syndrome comes in because at the beginning of the term there’s such a system to keep the kids out of school.
“This is a school head in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education where the minister is a champion of inclusive education,” said Minister Dokora.
He said the country is starting to benefit from inclusive education as witnessed by improved pass rates.
“We must create a humane society. We can’t create it by force through brutalising young learners either through psychological tricks or dehumanising poor people,” Minister Dokora said.
The Minister made reference to a recent story published by The Chronicle where a 58-year-old teacher from Hillside Primary School was taken to court for brutally assaulting a pupil.
He encouraged teachers to employ better ways of dealing with pupils saying they were risking their careers over minor issues.
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