The future of the matric class of 2022 at Phakamani High School in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape hangs in the balance. This comes after the Department of Education flagged some irregularities in the marks submitted to them for the subject of Life Orientation by the school.
The Department gave the school nearly two months to fix the error but the school failed to do so. The affected learners now have to re-write and re-do the outstanding work for the subject. There was no teaching and learning at Phakamani High School on Thursday.
A meeting was held to find a solution to the matter. Parents and the affected learners say the matter has driven them into a depression.
“I feel like because at home I’m the only one doing grade 12 and they expect me to be in varsity this thing that happened really ruined us,” says Phakamani high school learner, Kuhle Mtolo.
“The teachers at the school have been negligent, it took them the whole year to complete what was needed but to my surprise but we are here because of poor management,” says a parent Fikiswa Dinwa.
While there are calls for the suspension of the implicated teachers, the Education Department accused the school of dragging its feet into the matter.
“Had the school not been very lethargic in taking action when they received the feedback as far back as towards November, December, we even gave them an opportunity while marking was going on, the school could still be doing something as their teams were on standby to provide the necessary support to do the necessary Moderation so by the time results are released, this matter would have been solved,” says Mzimhle Mabona, Examinations Officers: Eastern Cape education department.
The learners will receive their statements with results except for the subject in question. The matter is expected to be resolved by the first week of February.
