North West Education Dept requested to release matric results after some learners failed to return tablets

The Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa says it has sent an urgent letter to the North West Education Department requesting that schools release the results of learners.

It says there are schools around the province that are withholding learners’ results of learners because they have either not paid school fees or have failed to return tablets and textbooks.

Deputy Chairperson of the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa, Hendrick Makaneta, says it is illegal for schools to withhold learners’ results.

“It is illegal for anybody any school to hold the results irrespective of any reason. So we felt that we would rather take the matter to court so that the court can do a pronouncement on the matter.”

Johana Mokolobetsi Secondary school at Bapong near Brits is alleged to be one of the schools that are withholding results of learners. The spokesperson for the North West Education Department, Elias Malindi, has confirmed that they did receive the open letter addressed to the MEC, Maphefo Matsemela.

However, Malindi says it is unfortunate that the authors of the letter, did not consult with the Johana Mokolobetsi Secondary School principal about their grievance.

“We are not aware. We also spoke to them, to the person who wrote the letter. The person wrote the letter without talking to the principal and made allegations the school has issued statements to the learners there is no learner who has not received a statement.”

Malindi urged parents to co-operate with schools regarding tablets that need to be returned so that other learners can use them. He says in terms of the agreement, learners were loaned the tablets and they would have to return them.

But some now say they have lost them while others say they have been stolen.

“We want to discourage the issue of learners holding tablets to themselves without returning them to the school they were given tablets last year. The agreement was that they are going to return so that they can be used by other learners.”

Makaneta says if the matter is not addressed, they will have no option but to approach the courts.