Africa-Press – Eswatini. Following Parliament’s passing of the motion against the expulsion of pupils owing school fees, the ministry of education and training has issued a circular memorandum directing head teachers to recall all expelled learners.
The memorandum directed to head teachers, school committee chairpersons, regional education offices (REOs) and school managers and grantees was issued by the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) Bhekithemba Gama yesterday.
In the memo, Gama called upon the head teachers to recall the expelled pupils with immediate effect, and said inspectors would be visiting schools to ensure that they adhere to the directive as per the dictates of the circular.
This circular comes exactly three days after the motion was passed in Parliament.
Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo moved the motion and was seconded by Manzini South MP Thandi Nxumalo.
The parliamentarians said head teachers who would continue expelling pupils owing fees would had to answer to Parliament and would be subsequently penalised.
Owing
Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza was tasked with ensuring that no pupil was expelled from secondary or high school, temporarily or permanently for owing fees, while government urgently came up with a concise plan of action on how it would fund the fees being owed by the pupils.
Supporting his motion, MP Khumalo said the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in loss of jobs, closure of businesses, and an increase in prices of commodities which greatly affect poor citizens.
MP Thandi Nxumalo, one of the MPs who supported Khumalo’s motion, said the expulsion of learners owing fees also affected some legislators who find themselves burdened with paying fees for pupils that were expelled as their parents who are electorates approach them for assistance.
The legislators said head teachers who defied the order to desist from expelling owing pupils from school would be in contempt of Parliament.
This was reiterated by Gama who reminded head teachers that circulars issued by government were binding and any deviation may lead to prosecution.
Contempt
“Schools that will continue to ignore this circular and others such as (circular 1 of 2021) will face the full might of the law, and may be charged with insubordination and contempt of Parliament,” reads the memo. Further, Gama emphasised that sending pupils home while learning continued was unprofessional and unethical as it increases the vulnerability of the learners to illicit acts.
While idling, the pupils also get exposed to drugs and sexual abuse, while some learners end up not returning to school, resulting to the high dropout rate that the country’s education system is faced with,” said the PS.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
