School threatens to expel 500 learners

The future of at least 500 learners at Mother Patrick Convent Primary School in Harare hangs in the balance after the school expelled 40 students for allegedly disrupting lessons. The expulsion letters, which were delivered on December 2, cite the "disruption of the learning process" and the students' prolonged absence from school as reasons for their dismissal.

The expelled students, ranging up to Grade 6, were reportedly punished for exceeding the school's attendance limits. Acting head, Eugenia Muketiwa, confirmed in the expulsion letters that the children had missed more than a week of classes, which led to the decision to withdraw them from the school roll.

However, a closer investigation into the events surrounding the expulsions revealed that the issue was connected to an ongoing strike by the school's teaching staff, who downed tools on November 19 over poor working conditions and unpaid salaries. This industrial action forced many parents to withdraw their children due to the lack of supervision while the teachers were on strike.

Parents and guardians of the expelled children have expressed outrage, claiming that their children are being unfairly punished for the teachers' grievances, which they argue is not the children's fault.

"This is a clear case of victimisation. Our children are being punished for something they have no control over," one parent said.

Another parent added, "Our children were left loitering around the school because there were no teachers. They should not be expelled for missing classes when the staff has been on strike for weeks. The school authorities need to address the issues that are affecting both the students and the teachers."

Some parents revealed that they had been forced to withdraw their children from the school after seeing them unattended during the strike, only to later receive expulsion letters.

In response to the parents' concerns, the school's management assured that efforts were underway to restore normalcy at the institution. A letter from the chairperson of the management board, identified as Mr. Matigimu, acknowledged the challenges but pledged to take full responsibility for creating a stable and conducive learning environment.

"We acknowledge that the recent events may have fallen short of expectations. We are committed to restoring normalcy at our school at the earliest," the letter stated.

Matigimu further urged parents to return their children to school, emphasizing that a school could not function without its students. He assured that the management was working to resolve the internal issues and engage with the teachers to address their concerns.

However, he also pointed to a lack of transparency and communication between the school authorities and parents as a major source of misunderstanding.

"We regret any distress this may have caused and are committed to keeping you informed of all developments," he said.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has taken note of the situation and deployed a team to investigate the matter. Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro confirmed that the government was seized with the issue and would be closely monitoring developments.

As tensions between the parents, teachers, and school authorities continue to rise, many are waiting to see how the situation will be resolved, with the future of the affected students hanging in the balance.