EXAMS START SMOOTHLY, RIOTING PUPILS DISPERSED

NHLANGANO – Form V exams began in earnest in most schools despite the riots and protests that continue to characterise many of the learning institutions.

Yesterday marked the start of external examinations for Form Vs. The pupils sat for their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) practical examination. There were concerns that the unrest in schools may result in the pupils being unable to sit for their exams, but there were no reports of any school having suspended examinations due to the ongoing protests. In fact, those pupils who were to sit for the exams, abandoned all forms of protests and made their way to their respective examination rooms while those from other grades, who continued with the riots, were dispersed and sent home.

Protests

In schools around the Shiselweni Region, for instance, pupils from five high schools were engaged in protests and those from three schools proceeded to write their exams. The remaining two schools did not have the ICT subject in their syllabus. The protesting schools were Ebenezer, Mbukwane, Hosea, Mazombizwe and Qomintaba high schools, with the first three having pupils who were sitting for the ICT practical exams yesterday.

It was said that following the ongoing protests, the pupils who were not sitting for the exam were turned back to ensure smooth running of the examination.
It was said that in some of the schools, the pupils showed up with the intention to protest but were sent back and only those who were sitting for their ICT practical exams were allowed into the school premises.

These were pupils from Ebenezer, Mbukwane and Hosea high schools, where only those writing exams were allowed in. Police were seen patrolling the schools to ensure that the ongoing examinations were not interrupted. The pupils from Hosea are calling for the release of pro-change MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea and Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi. It was the same case at KaMazombizwe, Mbukwane SDA High as police were frequently seen patrolling the schools.
Pupils from Mbukwane, after being denied entry into the school premises, went to KaMazombizwe, a school about five kilometres away where they wanted to disturb classes.

Police came right on time as they were able to disperse the pupils. At Qomintaba High School, pupils also protested, demanding the employment of more teachers as they claimed that since schools reopened, they had been coming to school to do nothing as there were no teachers. It has been three weeks since the pupils had been protesting and yesterday, they burnt a water tank at the school.

Order

Police also came to maintain law and order and the pupils left the premises. The examination-writing schools’ head teachers stated that they were advised by the Office of the Shiselweni Regional Education Officer (REO) to send those who were protesting home. Shiselweni REO Siboniso Gumbi confirmed that he advised head teachers of the schools affected by protests to send the rest of the pupils home for smooth proceedings of the examinations. He said that was meant for the safety of the pupils as should they have missed the examination yesterday, they would not be allowed to write it again, adding that it was an international paper which had to be written at the same time across the board.

Recalled

When asked when the pupils would be recalled to school, Gumbi said there was a paper to be written tomorrow, adding that the rest of the pupils would be recalled on Friday. “We still have to convene a meeting with the parents from the affected schools to hear from them a way forward,” added Gumbi. Meanwhile, in the Lubombo Region, pupils from eight schools were engaged in protests. Of these schools, only pupils from three schools were to sit for their ICT exam yesterday.
These high schools were St. Philips, Big Bend and Nkonjwa High.

Subjects

According to the Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO), Richard Dlamini, some schools were new and some had no educators for the subject, hence they did not register for it in the current year. Hlobsile Thwala, St Philips High Head teacher, said the pupils demanded that they be allowed to do hairstyles and to break early. She said the pupils also demanded the reduction in the number of subjects. Thwala said her Form V pupils sat for their ICT practical exams yesterday and would be sitting again tomorrow.

“We have suspended classes for the other learners and I presume they will be back to their respective classrooms next Monday,” she said. The REO advised head teachers to suspend classes if pupils riot as such could lead to the damage of property. “They should analyse the situation and work with the police. Let me plead with the pupils to focus on their studies and leave politics to their parents,” he said.

Majority

Lubombo ICT Schools Inspector Nkhululeko Dlamini said a majority of the high schools wrote their exams and only those where there were riots suspended the other classes and allowed their Form V pupils to sit for their practicals. “In fact, we did not have any reports to the effect that some of the high schools did not sit for their exams,” he said.

Meanwhile, in all the schools which were marred by riots, police were called to calm the situation. All other pupils from schools within the Siteki town sat for the ICT practical exams without experiencing any disturbances yesterday morning. The pupils at Lubombo Central High and Siteki Nazarene High sat for their practical exams, which started at 9am and ended just before noon. Lubombo Central High ICT Teacher Celumusa Dladla, said the pupils were able to cover up the lost time by having extra classes.

Dladla, said they also ensured that they attended their lessons an hour earlier than the rest of the pupils. The educator said they also conducted lessons during weekends. “Everything is normal; we ensured that they cover up for the lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. At Siteki Nazarene High, Head teacher Bonginkosi Dlamini also shared the same sentiments, mentioning that they were fortunate as a school because they did not experience the riots that had been happening in other schools in the Lubombo Region.

Classes

“They had extra classes to make up for the lost time. They also learnt through online sessions as that helped them a lot. I would like to thank our teaching staff for a commendable job in dedicating their time to the learners,” Dlamini said. Overall, for Manzini and Hhohho-based schools, there were also no disturbances.
During a visit to some schools around town, it was gathered that exams went smoothly as there were no disturbances, particularly with class boycotts ever since they started in the past few weeks.

Form V pupils of St Theresa’s High School sat for their ICT practical examinations well from start to finish, and this was confirmed by the school’s Head teacher, identified as Mr Sihlongonyane. Sihlongonyane said; “The exams were quite successful and there were no challenges experienced. In the past, we had power cuts but this year we had no issues.”

Success

The ICT exams were also a success at Manzini Nazarene High, where the Head teacher, Phindile Makhanya, also alluded to that obstacles were not experienced, neither by the examiners nor pupils while they sat for their exams. Likewise, Salesian, St Michael’s and Mjingo high schools were reported to have written their examinations smoothly yesterday. Worth noting is that most schools in the rural areas, especially in the Shiselweni and Lubombo regions, are characterised by class boycotts, which saw the burning and vandalising of school property.

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