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'we are tired of SADTU bullying'

06august2009:MEC for Education Ms Barbara Creecy speaks Principals of Gauteng schools during principal's meeting in Birchwood hotel PIC. © MUNYADZIWA NEMUTUDI. 06/08/2009
06august2009:MEC for Education Ms Barbara Creecy speaks Principals of Gauteng schools during principal's meeting in Birchwood hotel PIC. © MUNYADZIWA NEMUTUDI. 06/08/2009

If the department of Education does not do something about Sadtu disrupting classes, the communities will take matters into their own hands.

If the department of Education does not do something about Sadtu disrupting classes, the communities will take matters into their own hands.

This was the message to Gauteng education MEC Barbara Creecy from a concerned principal.

The principal was one of 100 from Gauteng who were selected to meet President Jacob Zuma in Durban today as part of the 1500-strong group of school heads from across the country. They were to discuss the challenges facing education.

In Gauteng 55 principals were chosen from good and middle performing schools, 30 from poorly performing and 15 from primary schools.

The principal said: "The biggest problem is Sadtu coming into our schools - even primary schools - to disrupt classes. We know the government will not do anything about it because of the ties it has with Sadtu. As a community we say so far and no more."

Creecy said Zuma's meeting with the principals showed the government's commitment to improving education.

"Education is the number two priority of this government. The first priority is to provide better jobs for everyone. You cannot create better jobs without education. So, education is the mother of all priorities."

Creecy encouraged principals to ensure that their schools perform well and that they give the necessary support to pupils and teachers.

"I do not believe in failure," she said. "My contract as MEC is performance-based. So I will need your help. If half the children in our province cannot read and write when they are in Grade 6 we have a problem."

"It means that they will not be able to do the high school curriculum."

She said it was important to fix the foundation and intermediate phases of education.

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