Pretoria - School governing bodies in Limpopo have laid into MEC for Education, Polly Boshielo, accusing her of being a “noise maker” and a “disappointment” after the province’s dismal performance in last year’s matric results.
This follows the release of the matric result last week, which saw the Free State taking the number one spot with 85.7% and Gauteng coming in second at 82.8%.
Limpopo obtained 66.7% for the 2021 class pass rate as opposed to 68.2% in 2020, while for the first time in five years, the province had no school with a 0% pass rate.
However, the SGB Council of South Africa has called out Boshielo, stopping short of calling for her resignation.
In a statement seen by Pretoria News, the organisation’s provincial chairperson Erick Mosoana called for Boshielo’s head, calling her “mediocre”.
It read in part: “The SGB Council of South Africa noted with disappointment the 2021 matric results in Limpopo.
“Lack of leadership from the province is the only sound reason behind such mediocrity.
“The Department of Education has for the past three years been on autopilot, with Polly (Boshielo) becoming the noise maker of the year.”
Masoana continued to blame the cadre deployment of principals by what he called “union bishops and corrupt circuit managers”.
“The issue of unadvertised teaching posts and learners sharing a text book with missing pages is secondary, but must never be used as blame to the circumstances,” Masoana added.
He called for Premier Stan Mathabatha to immediately remove Boshielo, and vowed to take to the streets if it was not done.
“If politics were not at play the premier could have removed this noise maker of the year as MEC.
“The council will during the State of the Province Address and every legislature sitting picket to demand the removal of this girlfriend of note,” he said.
The Saviour Association of School Governing Bodies mirrored the council’s assertions.
Its chairperson Kubu Caiphas Moshutla said the organisation was not happy with the matric results in the province, accusing the government of not giving enough support to schools.
He said: “The government is not giving schools support. We can’t continue to blame teachers because teachers do their work.
“When a teacher goes on maternity leave, they will get back to work without having been replaced because approval of teachers take from three to six months.”
Departmental spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene noted Pretoria News’ questions but had not responded by yesterday afternoon.
She said in a text: “The Limpopo Department of Education notes the statements. We will give a comment in due course.”
However, speaking to the media at the matric results announcement, Boshielo said there was a silver lining in that the 2021 pass rate was better than the one of 2017’s 65.1% before the Covid 19 outbreak in 2019.
Boshielo blamed the pandemic that has contributed to the “under performance” of the province in the 2021 matric results.
Fulufhelani Tsedu, an ANC official in the province, took to social media blaming parents in defence of Boshielo.
He wrote in part: “My question is, have we as parents taken a moment to introspect? If we did we would realise that our involvement in the education of our children is close to zero.
“We rebuke teachers and learners at the end of the year when we see leaner’s reports written ‘not promoted’, we hardly see that report as a reflection of our own contribution, let alone as our involvement indicator.
“We refuse to participate in initiatives of schools aimed at supporting learners who are our own children,” Tsedu concluded.
Pretoria News