A NORTH West teacher is in hot water after he disappeared for two weeks, leaving final examination scripts of pupils in Grades 9 and 10 unmarked.
Jacob Mokhutshwane, who taught at Kgononyane Secondary School in Southey village in Ganyesa, then reappeared when schools started this year and allegedly acted as if nothing had happened.
According to the school, other teachers had to mark the exam scripts and do some of his other duties.
This was discovered by the North West legislature's portfolio committee on education, sports, arts and culture during a visit to the school on Monday.
Mokhutshwane was last seen on November 29 and failed to appear for the rest of the term .
According to the principal Mosala Mothibi, Mokhutshwane failed to mark and control pupils' final exam scripts.
He was teaching Grade 10 life orientation, Setswana to Grade 9s and Grade 8 arts and culture.
Mothibi said the school management team had to share Mokhutshwane's work in order for the pupils to get their results.
"We sent teachers to his apartment on several occasions to ask him to come back to work, but the exercise was fruitless," he said.
Mothibi told the committee they were shocked to see him back at work this year.
"He just came in as normal and did not give us an explanation about his disappearance."
Last week he was asked by the labour department to stop reporting for work until the matter was finalised.
But now pupils in Grade 9 and 10 are idling during his periods.
The school, which takes pupils from 21 surrounding villages, was labelled the worst school in the country in 2006 after only one out of 650 pupils passed in Grade 11 and below.
The school managed to record a 19.4% pass rate for the 13 matriculants who passed that year, bringing the number of pupils who passed to 14.
North West MEC for education Louisa Mabe complained about the dropping pass rate of schools surrounding the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality.
Chairwoman of the portfolio committee, Fenny Motladiele, said they would ask the education department to find a replacement as soon as possible.
The school also had the highest number of pregnant girls last year.
The school had 89 pupils registered for matric and 13 of them dropped out because they were pregnant.
Mothibi said the school also faced the challenge of over-aged pupils. - tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
Teacher faces disciplinary action for disappearing
A NORTH West teacher is in hot water after he disappeared for two weeks, leaving final examination scripts of pupils in Grades 9 and 10 unmarked.
Jacob Mokhutshwane, who taught at Kgononyane Secondary School in Southey village in Ganyesa, then reappeared when schools started this year and allegedly acted as if nothing had happened.
According to the school, other teachers had to mark the exam scripts and do some of his other duties.
This was discovered by the North West legislature's portfolio committee on education, sports, arts and culture during a visit to the school on Monday.
Mokhutshwane was last seen on November 29 and failed to appear for the rest of the term .
According to the principal Mosala Mothibi, Mokhutshwane failed to mark and control pupils' final exam scripts.
He was teaching Grade 10 life orientation, Setswana to Grade 9s and Grade 8 arts and culture.
Mothibi said the school management team had to share Mokhutshwane's work in order for the pupils to get their results.
"We sent teachers to his apartment on several occasions to ask him to come back to work, but the exercise was fruitless," he said.
Mothibi told the committee they were shocked to see him back at work this year.
"He just came in as normal and did not give us an explanation about his disappearance."
Last week he was asked by the labour department to stop reporting for work until the matter was finalised.
But now pupils in Grade 9 and 10 are idling during his periods.
The school, which takes pupils from 21 surrounding villages, was labelled the worst school in the country in 2006 after only one out of 650 pupils passed in Grade 11 and below.
The school managed to record a 19.4% pass rate for the 13 matriculants who passed that year, bringing the number of pupils who passed to 14.
North West MEC for education Louisa Mabe complained about the dropping pass rate of schools surrounding the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality.
Chairwoman of the portfolio committee, Fenny Motladiele, said they would ask the education department to find a replacement as soon as possible.
The school also had the highest number of pregnant girls last year.
The school had 89 pupils registered for matric and 13 of them dropped out because they were pregnant.
Mothibi said the school also faced the challenge of over-aged pupils. - tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
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