Creecy reveals wrongs at high school

March 26 2014 at 07:57pm 

By NONTOBEKO MTSHALI

The Star

Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy. Photo: Itumeleng English

Johannesburg -

Brakpan High School took centre stage at the Gauteng legislature on Tuesday when Education MEC Barbara Creecy answered to corruption and sexual harassment allegations against the school’s staff.

Creecy told the legislature that the school had been placed under administration.

She was responding to questions posed by Cope MPL Hermene Koorts about the findings of a forensic report into the school’s finances and complaints against the principal.

Creecy said the department had received complaints about financial mismanagement in December 2012.

The department ordered an independent probe, and it was finalised in August last year.

Creecy said the audit report recommended that the school governing body (SGB) be disbanded and that disciplinary action be taken against the principal and other members of the school’s management.

The recommendations were followed and a district director was now

monitoring the school.

Creecy said the department had offered training to the SGB, but only one member attended. The department had partnered with an audit firm that would offer mentoring and coaching on financial management to schools as part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility programme.

The MEC also responded to questions about a sexual harassment case against a teacher at the school who is still on the department’s payroll and continues to work with children.

Creecy said the teacher was charged, found guilty, given a three-month suspended sentence and fined an amount equivalent to three months’ salary.

The Star understands that the teacher made comments of a sexual nature to pupils. He was not criminally charged.

nontobeko.mtshali@inl.co.za

The Star