MANZINI – Head teachers say once government funds are exhausted, they will close schools and surrender the keys to the regional education officers (REOs).
The head teachers, who are affiliated with the Swaziland Association of School Administrators (SASA), met at the SNAT Centre yesterday. SASA is affiliated with the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT).
The teachers met to map a way forward following a move by the Ministry of Education and Training to take action against them for allegedly defying regulations by charging top-up fees without authorisation.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Nanikie Mnisi, issued letters to the head teachers instructing them to show cause why industrial action should not be taken against them for making parents pay top-up fees, undermining the Free Primary Education (FPE) Programme.
During the meeting, the teachers argued that the issue does not only concern head teachers, but the school managers, grantees, school committee chairpersons, parents and others who took the resolutions to charge top-up fees.
“In meetings where resolutions are taken, head teachers are mere secretaries. It is then surprising that they are the ones who are now charged with wrongdoing,” they said.
Chairperson of the SASA, Khanyisile Dlamini, said every teacher will be affected by the situation because teachers now cannot even tell parents to buy firewood to cook for pupils.
“You cannot even tell them to pay for Typek (printing paper). Right now, we are in a serious predicament and no head teacher is safe. Government is happy to send people home when they are a few years from retirement because it knows that it will make savings,” she said.
Justice Dlamini, a Head teacher, said teachers must use their right to collective bargaining as members of a workers’ union.
“Atime tinjini kudvuma (engines must stop running) if the need arises. We must raise all these issues and challenge government because it gave us children to teach quality education. We will follow SASA because the future of these pupils rests with the teachers,” he said.
Dlamini said the letters served on head teachers were supposed to be sent by REOs and not the PS.
He further said almost all schools in the country must be charged with wrongdoing because no school charges E1 950 school fees at high school.
The E1 950 is the amount paid by government for OVCs in high school.
SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini said government has the responsibility to make all resources available to ensure that the standard of education is high.
He said operational costs such as salaries for groundsmen, cook and bursar’s must be borne by government as is the case in some schools.
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‘Don’t talk to me, talk to my SNAT’
MANZINI – The Swaziland National Association of Teachers has assured all head teachers who are being challenged by government that they will be represented by the union.
SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini said head teachers must not waste their resources because SNAT has the capacity to tackle government head-on. “If you think you have a lawyer, government will exhaust you. You will eventually be tempted to take school funds to fund your cases. SNAT will represent you from the beginning to the end,” he said.
He explained that those who are not members will be given forms to fill.
“It’s wise to prevent an illness before it affects you. It is sometimes wise to take the neighbour’s child to hospital, before that illness affects your own children,” he said.
Dlamini said the affidavits signed by the head teachers are testimony that the law was being broken.
“The guilty party is the one who failed to adequately fund the operation of schools. We are reaching a point where we have to use the funds allocated and when exhausted, we will lock up and take the keys to the REO.”
Secretary General Lot Vilakati said SNAT is able to mobilise resources to defend the head teachers.
“Ayipheli imali ya SNAT,” he said.
He said he had gathered that the issue of top-up fees now extends to high schools.
“We heard the issue is not only affecting primary schools. If there is an orphaned and vulnerable child paying E1 950, yet the school fees is E3 500, does that not imply the school is charging top-up fee?”
He said in 2010, there were reports that the FPE should have been E1 300. However, government reduced it and further added some subjects.
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SNAT and SASA leaders saying a prayer during a meeting at the SNAT Centre yesterday. (Pics: Timothy Simelane)