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(all names used in this article are fictional)

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE KWAZULU-NATAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

First of all let me congratulate you on the transformation of Education. I am NOT one of those ‘gain sayers’ who feel that the changes in Education have been detrimental. Particularly in my subject Life Science. In spite of the ‘in jostling’ that has characterised the changes (no less than THREE TIMES in the last five years and the resultant disruptions to CONTENT, lack of TEXTBOOKS, further MARGINALISATION of Deaf Education, the added burden in lesson preparation, lack of revision resources for the matrics, inadequate workshops which were later (2009) well managed) I have felt that the ORIENTATION of the syllabus has been SUPERB in that for the first time, a subject is both RELEVANT and APPLICABLE to the learners every day life. For me, the sum total of this Education truly equips a learner to be informed, confident, open minded, ready to engage critically with his environment. But most importantly to see education as a life long process. This, in my opinion, embraces the true meaning of Education and I feel that it equips our learners for the world stage in the most ENLIGHTENED way. The way I see it, this UPGRADING of Education and the removing of the higher and standard grade divisions, has meant the need to LOWER the pass rate. NOT lower the standard of Education, as the press and the gain sayers would have us believe. In this sense, the requirements for entry level into University or Technicon has not changed. How these institutions may adjust their entry levels has nothing to do with the ACTUAL intent or outcome on the standard of Education within Schools.

I recently took up a post at Befuddled High School in the second term, three weeks before the June exam. I had just been teaching for 3 and a half years at a deaf school and was eager to once more become involved in hearing education. As I have just said, Deaf learners, due to their inability to read, had been further marginalised by the new TEXT based format of the exams. Pointing this issue out at one of the Life Science workshops obviously just fell on deaf ears. It seems to me that DEAF EARS have somehow become the hallmark of the administrative infrastructure of Education in Kwazulu-Natal.

At my new school, I was expecting to encounter learners eager to learn, willing to engage dynamically with a fantastic subject, and keen to secure the best possible matric pass.

I am extremely sad to report that (apart from a few exceptional learners) nothing could have been further from the truth.

Now I am well aware of the fact that I am white. Nothing in the world is going to change this fact. I took a stand, based on my conscience against the apartheid regime with the subsequent result that I was prevented from building a career in any normal sense in Education. In fact I was prevented from building a career in ANY SENSE even in my chosen ALTERNATIVE fields of endeavour: ART, PERFORMANCE and involvement in the ‘counter cultural’ movement of Durban.

My record at Rubble College between 1997 and 2005, and my appointment at a School for the Deaf from 2006 to May 2009 bear testimony to my commitment, dedication and going that extra 200% in meeting the demands of the really tough changes that were thrust upon us lowly educators, often at personal expense to our TIME, our ENERGY and our ENTHUSIASM. Yet I, and many others soldered on, driven by the understanding that the changes were best (and necessary) as part of an essential restructuring/healing process.

From day one at Befuddled High School, I encountered rudeness, direct challenges and goads to my authority, alarming behavioural impunity against any disciplinary measures, and a totally misguided notion of confidence and maturity. I found the learners immature, quick to implement a ‘gang like’ response to discipline (i.e. to gang-up against me across grades and from learners I did not even teach) and to disregard any form of corrective discipline: lines, detention, extra work. Learners would just get up and walk around the class to talk to another learner at will. Learners would rock back on those high lab chairs and slouch, hands in pockets. No learner took out a note pad to take notes while I was teaching. Many BASIC Life Science skills were lacking: e.g. all diagrams must have a heading. All diagrams must be large and clearly labelled using a ruler to draw the lines. Diagrams must be drawn in PENCIL. These simple simple rules were non existent even amongst the top learners!

Unbeknown to me the headmaster, had been ‘exposed’ via a Sunday Times report and further T.V. coverage regarding an incident of caning that occurred at the school prior to my appointment. After three months it became apparent that I was caught up in some form of ‘political manoeuvring’ as the Governing Body, whom I had been led to believe was ‘illegitimate’, began to organise the parents and later the pupils in ‘sit ins’ in protest against this exposure, and subsequent suspension. The Governing Body undertook this action with scant regard to the pupils well being, or to the need of the pupils academic commitments. I maintain that these learners, still children and very immature, were being given the wrong message with regard to their education. This youthful energy had been stirred into dissatisfaction.

The situation within the school was further compounded by the fact that the Education department had not replaced two English Educators for grades 8 and 9. One replacement Educator lasted three weeks. Under my suggestion staff were required to take registers with batting classes, as many learners saw batting as an opportunity to run around the school and visit their friends in other classes on any pretext. This extra and consistent batting cut into my preparation time, attempts to follow up on discipline, marking time and time needed to devote my attention to grades who were FOUR WEEKS behind with their syllabus.

I would like, at this point, to state that the Life Science syllabus is an extremely intricately woven syllabus, that requires an extra level of attention to detail. Setting control papers, for example, has requirements that I doubt any other subject needs to adhere. Further, the lack of suitable resource material, due to the change of emphasis, has meant many more extra hours needed for setting.

From my very first lesson with the matrics, I virtually had a riot on my hands when I suggested that they do a classroom based exercise that was in their text books. We had just had a lively discussion on birth control methods. I felt it necessary to gain some personal insight into their level of understanding and to get some idea of their work ethic. This is not an abnormal form of Educator strategy. One learner in particular whom later became a sort of ‘ring leader’ of resistance for reason beyond my comprehension was S’bu Dubisane who made a great show of NOT doing any work and ‘challenged me’ to even try to get him to comply! I was utterly shocked and baffled. Interestingly at least 8 points of this reproductive worksheet came up in the June exams. S’bu managed 19% in the June exam. I mention S’bu in particular because he had school colours and wore a string of various school achievements down his school blazer. He continued to agitate and ‘incite’ others to do likewise. I eventually had to get the headmaster to speak to this class (12D) but this had no effect.

After three weeks, I wrote a letter of complaint to the headmaster but received no response. As a result I requested an urgent meeting with the HOD’s plus a staff representative (Mrs. Geld) to try and get to grips with this untenable situation. This meeting proved futile. I feel that any astute headmaster, would have seen my plight as a real cause for concern and would have attempted some form of intervention strategy. Nothing was forthcoming. Trying to work through the HOD’s proved mostly futile. Requests to speak to pupils parents had a minimal effect on their behaviour. Classes roamed the corridors and various learners would interrupt my lessons by requesting to borrow a stapler, to speak to borrow/get money from a learner - the interruptions and excuses were endless and they would not accept no for an answer. When the bell rang for lesson change, the corridors became riot platforms and any attempt to get the learners to lower the noise levels simply had the opposite effect.

My life was verbally threatened by a learner I did not even teach. The response to this was indifference from the headmaster. I felt I was not being heard within the school and was baffled by the ongoing lack of professionalism.

I later discovered that one of the teachers Mr. Abalone, was giving the learners an option of being caned, rather than submitting to other forms of punishment. I am completely opposed to corporal punishment. (This was openly admitted by Mr. Abalone during one of his disciplinary talks to the grade 10 D class, who were particularly problematic in the school, a few months later.) On my first friday morning during invigilation of an isiZulu control test, I discovered two learners in this class cheating. I reported the matter to the form teacher concerned. Was this their reason to subsequently subject me to such a despicable ongoing level of agitation and resentment? I never received any follow up on disciplinary measures in this instance, and my investigations received no concrete outcome. This code of silence surrounding methods of punishment was indeed disturbing. The behaviour of this class became so bad that they would NOT ALLOW me to teach them. My only response was to STOP TEACHING THEM until such time that they showed some level of respect for their education. This strategy failed to get consensus from the class to change their attitude. Learners would blatantly goad me into challenging their disobedience. Such impunity was alarming.

I subsequently caught two grade 11 learners cheating in a Life Science control test. One boy was an acting prefect. Apart from giving them nought, I am not aware that any further disciplinary measures were done. The one boy was still an acting prefect!

In one grade 10 lesson there was a huge commotion in Zulu. Suddenly one of the male students whipped off his belt and began slashing with the buckle at his female classmate. Apart from not seeing the boy who slashed at the girl for three days, I was never given any feedback from the incident. I am lead to believe that the female student was held responsible as she was teasing him.

I wrote a letter to the Education Department listing a set of complaints and outlining the untenable situation and requesting a transfer. There was a feeling at this time that the Department would probably drag their feet in their misguided understanding of psychology in that I would be forced to ‘succumb’ to the situation under unbearable odds.

To this day I still have had no response from this letter, or any sense that my complaints were being registered. I later found out that because I was a UTE (Unprotected Temporary Educator) that I was not allowed to ask for a transfer. In this sense the inspector (Mr. Gravitas) told me that his hands were tied. I have 18 years teaching experience and to be subjected to this type of indifference and humility is nothing short of degrading!

I did not have a third term holiday break. A CASS mark assignment for the matrics, which should have been done in the first term, still had to be completed. This was handed in at the end of the third term some, three weeks passed the due date. The grade 10 class also handed in their (overdue) assignment at the end of third term. I had just been marking the grade 11 and grade 10 control tests. And then of course the grade 12 paper one and paper 2 trials exams were written at the end of the third term as well. I therefore only had the ‘holidays’ to complete this work. This, together with my deteriorating health, caused me to reach ‘burn out’ and I could not lift a pen to mark by the thursday. I then came down with flu. The trials paper in particular had graphs and a pie chart that required marks for accuracy. This meant that I had to measure each and every graph and pie chart (61 X 2 = 122 papers) in order to mark fairly and accurately! Given that this was only two aspects of the papers, I leave you to translate the impact of the whole into hours! Strangely, and in spite of all the disruptions, some learners marks increased by as much as 20%!!

I eventually contacted the ELRC and spoke to a superintendent. His advice (which now in hindsight was probably the best) was that I go to the police station and lay charges of intimidation. But because my life had been threatened, I was reluctant to pursue this option. I contacted SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union) and spoke to Simon who advised me NOT to lay charges at the police station because then I would be known as a ‘troublemaker’. The purpose of this procedure would have had me declared an DISPLACED EDUCATOR. This would at least have allowed me to have a salary while the dreadful set-up at the Education Department was being sorted out.

At the start of the fourth term, the G.B. stepped up its agitation to have the headmaster reinstated. Learners were ‘spontaneously’ called into the hall by the SRC and told to strike i.e. not to attend classes. This sent the learners into a further frenzy of disobedience. Two weeks later an ‘urgent’ meeting was called by the G.B. with only a few hours notice for Saturday 17 October. This meeting was called because I had addressed the staff and suggested that we take a united stand against the disruptive behaviour. Untold damage was being done to their academic aspirations! My point was that these learners were just children and they were being used to agitate as pawns in a war between the Education Department, the G.B. and the headmaster. Some teachers within the school turned a blind eye to this agitation. This divided the staff with a sanctimonious ‘taking sides’ dynamic developing. I attended this urgent meeting of 17 October. One other educator was present Mr. Metcalf. Indians were blatantly vilified. The inspectors who were trying to carry out their investigations - Mr. Comedy and Mr. Mbatha from the Education Department - were made to look like conspiring idiots. The G.B. vowed to continue disruptions until their demands were met.

During this time my health began to suffer, I had long bouts of depression and became suicidal. I was being treated by Dr. F. Govender of the Dental and Medical Centre in Che Guevara Road. The situation became so bad that I was eventually placed on extended sick leave as from 21/10/09. While on sick leave I received a call from headmaster telling me that my ‘holiday’ was over and that I should return to work. I sent him an e-mail requesting what exactly it was he was expecting of me, but received no reply. Such insensitivity to my plight as a dedicated and concerned educator has characterised the indifference with which my concerns were being addressed. I was deeply offended and saddened by his response.

Of course there are excellent learners in the school. Unfortunately I discovered that they held no effective sway whatsoever within the ethos of the school. They were also being intimidated by the thug-like and intimidatory ploys of bands of learners. I found it alarming that when I spoke to educators in the staff room, their suggestion was that I ‘worked with’ these elements. What kind of message does this send to the school community generally and what type of value system does this uphold? I was deeply disturbed as this further entrenched the very lack of discipline that these learners selectively manipulated.

In previous schools, I have always enjoyed an excellent rapport with my learners. These learners defied anything that I had ever experienced before and I was deeply shocked at the implications for the ‘new South Africa’. Their attitude was not conducive to ‘good fellowship’ and I often found their behaviour irrational and emotive. I felt in many instances that I was facing a form of xenophobia. There is nothing more scary than confident ignorance and once again I found this attitude disturbing.

The inspectors for Befuddled High School were changed THREE times during my investigations and requests for a transfer and assistance. They eventually settled on Mr. Comedy. He did not return my calls, was never in when I phoned or when I visited the Education offices. After a hand delivered letter in which I requested an appointment, I received an e-mail on the 27 November to say that he would contact me once his diary ‘had been shaken into place.’ At no point has there ever been any recognition or cognition of my complaints, or any attempt to meet with me to address these issues. Nothing was forthcoming. I did not realise that I was to be subjected to procrastination and delay. Reasons for this were to become clear later.

I subsequently tried to get hold of Simon and I had a single meeting with him. I subsequently was unable to meet him, and I was then given Nkosi as a contact. I have also only had one meeting with him, and other requests have been postponed...once by me due to the flu. He gave me phone numbers to call, but none of the people I contacted new anything about my case.

On the 4th January I received notification via Mr. Comedy (hey so he could respond!) informing me that my contract with the Education Department had been cancelled. I suddenly realised why everybody that I was dealing with had no sense of urgency, and simply procrastinated and fuddled while Rome was burning. I was simply dropped like a hot potato!

When I contacted the unions I was told that “all UTE contracts had been cancelled”. In other words, the delightful Education Department had suddenly dismissed an entire batch of their employees without notification!!!

In essence what this means is that through a laborious process of indifference, I was being forced into docility.

This is an outrage!