Alex Matlala

Alex Matlala

Classes resumed yesterday at beleaguered Sewela-Batho High School in Limpopo after angry parents and pupils forced it to be locked on Monday.

This followed an agreement between the community and the education department at a meeting yesterday.

Classes at the school in Monte Christo village were disrupted last Thursday.

Pupils and parents took issue at the death of a pupil who committed suicide after being ordered to repeat a grade for the third time.

The two parties at the meeting agreed in principle that the school principal, Johanna Mokoka, and a teacher, Samuel Sekgota, be forbidden from entering the school premises again.

The parties also agreed that an acting principal and a new teacher would be brought to the school to replace the barred teachers.

Tension at the school was triggered by the discovery of the body of the Grade 9 pupil who was found hanging from a tree on a mountain near the school last Wednesday.

Clarence Mojela, 19, was found dead after he was allegedly slapped in the face by a class teacher, after a protracted argument, the day before.

In an attempt to force him to a lower grade, the teacher allegedly slapped Mojela, a move that sparked a row at the school.

Mojela had allegedly forged his end-of-year report to reflect that he had passed Grade 9.

Education department spokesman, Ndo Mangala, applauded the move by parents to allow learning to resume.