Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
Thousands of KwaZulu-Natal pupils who failed matric examinations will rewrite on May 5 as scheduled.
KwaZulu-Natal education department head Cassius Lubisi said the directive from the national department that pupils should rewrite in May would be followed and that all plans were in place to make that possible.
Lubisi said 88 000 pupils were taking advantage of the new arrangement and had registered to write the exams.
He said this number included pupils who had failed in previous years. They have also been given the opportunity to rewrite.
"What is interesting is that even those who failed matric a long time ago are registering," he said.
"We encourage it. The government is giving them an opportunity to have matric certificates and they must use it."
Lubisi warned teachers who might participate in the proposed strike by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) when schools reopen, saying they would have to face the consequences of their actions.
He was responding to threats by certain sections of Sadtu that the union would go on strike over salary docking.
"We are still trying to get attendance registers from schools to see which teachers were absent when the union held a protest rally at Curries Fountain over the docking of salaries for last year's civil servants strike" Lubisi said.
"Those threatening to strike will have a day's salary docked. It's a clear policy: no work, no pay."
The teachers threatening to strike are from the Umlazi, Pinetown and Durban districts.
Meanwhile, education MEC Ina Cronje refused to comment on calls by Sadtu for her to resign.
The call came after relations between Cronje and Sadtu soured over the current process of docking of teachers salaries after last year's strike.
But Sadtu provincial chairman Ntombi Ntshangase said the union had not taken any decision to go on strike.
"On the docking of salaries, the dispute is at the labour court, so I cannot comment," Ntshangase said.
"But one thing is certain and that is there will be no strike."
Failed matrics to get second try
Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
Thousands of KwaZulu-Natal pupils who failed matric examinations will rewrite on May 5 as scheduled.
KwaZulu-Natal education department head Cassius Lubisi said the directive from the national department that pupils should rewrite in May would be followed and that all plans were in place to make that possible.
Lubisi said 88 000 pupils were taking advantage of the new arrangement and had registered to write the exams.
He said this number included pupils who had failed in previous years. They have also been given the opportunity to rewrite.
"What is interesting is that even those who failed matric a long time ago are registering," he said.
"We encourage it. The government is giving them an opportunity to have matric certificates and they must use it."
Lubisi warned teachers who might participate in the proposed strike by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) when schools reopen, saying they would have to face the consequences of their actions.
He was responding to threats by certain sections of Sadtu that the union would go on strike over salary docking.
"We are still trying to get attendance registers from schools to see which teachers were absent when the union held a protest rally at Curries Fountain over the docking of salaries for last year's civil servants strike" Lubisi said.
"Those threatening to strike will have a day's salary docked. It's a clear policy: no work, no pay."
The teachers threatening to strike are from the Umlazi, Pinetown and Durban districts.
Meanwhile, education MEC Ina Cronje refused to comment on calls by Sadtu for her to resign.
The call came after relations between Cronje and Sadtu soured over the current process of docking of teachers salaries after last year's strike.
But Sadtu provincial chairman Ntombi Ntshangase said the union had not taken any decision to go on strike.
"On the docking of salaries, the dispute is at the labour court, so I cannot comment," Ntshangase said.
"But one thing is certain and that is there will be no strike."