The Secretary for Education Dr. Uke Kombra has expressed grave concern that instructions for schools to open and teachers and students to return to normal classes have not been adhered to by pockets of schools throughout the country.
Instructions were issued through various instructions to all schools, teachers and students to resume normal classes on July 25 and August 1 for other schools due to election-related violence and disturbances.
Provincial Education Advisors were advised to assess the situation in their provinces and decide on an appropriate decision.
However, news reports of schools still closed and very low turnout by students and teachers in the last two weeks has caught the attention of the Department.
“In some cases, students are faithfully turning up for classes only to find that teachers are absent,” Secretary for Education, Dr. Uke Kombra stated.
Dr. Kombra said that apart from a number of wards or districts seriously affected by the election related issues, there is no excuse whatsoever for teachers not to be at work and for most schools throughout the country. Normal teaching and learning must be taking place.
“The rule of 30 days absenteeism will apply for students who are not turning up for classes without any good reason while teachers who are taking advantage of the situation and are not turning up at the school to teach or are still engaged in counting will be disciplined accordingly. Schools which are still closed for no good reason will not be paid their Government Tuition Fee payments or will be exempted from national examinations and assessment.
By now teachers are not supposed to be engaged in the counting process. Arrangements should have been made for other people to take over from them so that they can go back to the classrooms.”
The Secretary has directed all school inspectors and provincial education officials to visit schools and provide to his office reports of the situation on the ground and whether normal teaching and learning are taking place in their schools.