School takes Education Dept to court
The school governing body of a Bluff primary school have taken the Education Department to court.
|||Durban - The school governing body of a Bluff primary school have taken the Education Department as well as the new school principal to court, disputing the appointment and wanting undisturbed use and possession of the principal’s office.
Arguments were heard on Thursday before Durban High Court Judge Kate Pillay on the interim relief sought by the governing body – to have the administration office’s keys returned to them.
“They (the department) changed the locks to three of the most important offices in the school and did so unlawfully,” argued advocate Stewart Hoar, acting for the governing body.
Senior advocate Rajesh Choudree called for the application to be dismissed with costs, “preferably to be paid by each member of the school governing body instead of the school”
Judge Pillay reserved her judgment on the matter.
The Daily News recently reported on this urgent application which came before Pillay last week.
The governing body of Glenardle Junior Primary want to eject the newly appointed principal, Priscilla Bedesi, from her office pending a judicial review of her appointment by the Education Department.
According to the governing body chairman, Mark Boshoff’s affidavit, they did not recommend Bedesi’s appointment, saying they were concerned she had no foundation phase experience.
He said they lodged a grievance and when she arrived at the school to take up her appointment, he refused to sign an “assumption of duty letter”, and she left.
Boshoff said he reported the matter to the Volmink Commission probing allegations of corruption at schools, and also to the KZN Education MEC.
The school’s former principal, Denise Whitehorn, retired in October. The post was advertised and a number of candidates interviewed.
The governing body had recommended Lenette MacDonald, a teacher already at the school with 27 years experience, who is cited as the 12th respondent.
Boshoff had denied the suggestion that the governing body was being racist, saying “nothing could be further from the truth”, and adding their second choice was a black candidate.
Their third choice was Carol Vorster, the school’s head of department, who acted as principal until one was appointed. She is cited as the 9th respondent.
The situation at the school had become hostile and came to a head last week when education officials allegedly “stormed” the school, taking control of the principal’s office, ensuring Bedesi took over the running of the school with a bodyguard at her side.
According to Vorster’s affidavit, she said it was very clear there were mechanisms in place to frustrate any other suitable candidate for the position, as MacDonald was the governing body’s favourite.
She said a week after Bedesi reported for duty in January, one of the governing body members had tried to instruct her not to sign Bedesi’s assumption of duty letter, or any other documents from the department.
She was also apparently instructed not to speak to any of the department officials that came to school on this matter.
Vorster said she ignored these instructions and handed over the keys to the principal’s office to Bedesi on February 8, when she assumed duties as principal.
She also referred to a document placed on the school notice board by the governing body. Bedesi submitted this document as an annexure to her affidavit.
The document contained instructions on how staff were not allow the education officials or Bedesi onto the school premises, and the various ways to respond, depending on how each official, parent or the media reacted.
In replying papers, Boshoff argued he was unaware Vorster handed over the keys, and said she was not authorised to do so.
He said the department not only changed the lock to the principal’s office, but also the main doors to the admin block.
This, he said, effectively deprived them of access to and control of this office and admin block, that they previously had.
noelene.barbeau@inl.co.za
Daily News