Classrooms were virtually empty for a day in Grahamstown township schools this week as teachers went off to protests organised by trade union federation Cosatu.
Classrooms were virtually empty for a day in Grahamstown township schools this week as teachers went off to protests organised by trade union federation Cosatu.
Cosatu was protesting against labour broking and e-tolling. Grocott's Mail visited the quiet schools as teachers went to Port Elizabeth and East London, or just stayed at home on Wednesday.
At TEM Mrwetyana Secondary School only a few teachers were present and they told reporters that they were only teaching Grade 11s and 12s that day. At Nombulelo Secondary School pupils said that a single teacher gave only Grade 12s lessons, and they were already over by 9am.
According to spokesperson of the Eastern Cape education department Loyiso Pulumani, the strike was officially recognised, but the national department of basic education issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that Wednesday should remain a normal school day anyway.
Provincial Cosatu secretary Mandla Rayi confirmed that it was agreed in a meeting between Cosatu and national government that the strike would take place, and they had instructed all their affiliate unions to join them in the strike.
Pulumani said that the department is now waiting for information regarding which teachers were at school on Wednesday or not.
"From there the 'no work no pay' protocol will be implemented to those individuals," he said. Nombulelo Secondary School Grade 12 pupil, Nomabhelu Mbane said she was very stressed because of the teachers striking, especially seeing as matrics only have three terms in which to cover their whole syllabus.
"Parents are stressing too, because we are now paying school fees for our children to stay at home and do nothing," Nosakhumzi Sithole told Grocott's Mail.
"Now that it's over, the strike was without a doubt a huge success, and we appreciate the support of the teachers", Rayi said in a telephone interview with Grocott's Mail yesterday.
"One day without school was a sacrifice that we were willing to make, because if labour broking were to continue the parents of these children would not be able to even pay school fees for them, and that is the bigger issue here."
