Parents at the Pholoho Special School in Bloemfontein, Free State, are threatening to shut the school down when the new term resumes in over a week if they do not begin to see some major changes. The parents at the school see the rumoured outgoing principal, Joyce Thothela, as the root of the plethora of problems at the educational facility.

Chief among these issues is a block of eight classes at the school - the ceilings of which are falling apart. One parent who has asked to remain anonymous out of fear of victimisation, says there was an incident when one of the above-mentioned classrooms collapsed during school time. No-one was injured, but the School Governing Body (SGB) asked Thothela to inform the Education Department about the matter and request mobile classrooms. This did not happen, prompting questions whether the principal even forwarded the request to the department.

According to information at the Department, Thothela has been the principal at the school for about three years. The principal had submitted paperwork to retire at the end of 2018, however, when the time came, she twice requested three-month extensions - the latter of which came to an end as schools closed for winter break. However, two days before Thothela was set to leave the school and not return, the disgruntled SGB escorted her off the school premises. It is now alleged Thothela will return to the school on the District Director’s orders. This is yet to be confirmed by the Department, however, parents are threatening to shut the school down should this be the case.  

OFM News’ interview with the Education Department regarding the school reveals the parties aren’t exactly on the same page regarding the issues at Pholoho.

While parents see Thothela as the source of the problems at the school, including the infrastructural issues, the department’s spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, says the matters aren’t related at all. “The issue of infrastructure and the expulsion of the principal by the SGB are unrelated.” Ndaba says the Department is not aware of the allegations pertaining to poor infrastructure, but promises they will investigate the matter when schools reopen. They, however, condemn the SGB’s decision to forcibly remove the principal from the premises as she was about to retire. He says the principal is an employee of the department, and not of the SGB. ”They have no right to escort the principal off the premises, we frown upon this.”

The parents have set a meeting with the District Director for this week to gain clarity on Thothela’s position and plans for the special school before the new term begins next week.

Pholoho caters for learners with special educational needs. According to its website, “the school caters for the severely mentally challenged learners from four and a half years to twenty-one years. In addition to a mental disability, these learners also have multiple disabilities, for example, physical, visual problems, hearing impaired, autism, ADHD and behavioural problems.”

OFM News