Guardians of scholars at Saint Andrews International Primary School (SAIPS) in Blantyre are demanding immediate resignation of the School’s Head Teacher Naomi Charles for lack of accountability and gross incompetence in the handling of administration matters.
According to a letter written to the school which is in our possession, the concerned parents are also demanding resignation of SAIPS Board of Trustees for it’s failure to execute a Trust Deed document – a legal document, which created the school to officialise their work.
Ministry of Education Public Relations Officer Mphatso Nkuonera
Among other issues, the parents are worried that education standards have gone down at the institution and also that the headmistress is busy spending money on lawsuits and bribing, depleting the coffers leading to the school going bankrupt.
The parents allege that the school is currently swimming in financial tatters as the teachers only received half their pay for the month of January, 2023.
The parents who described the head teacher as the worst in the history of the school since it’s inception also alleged that the school has so far lost 150 students since the headmistress joined the school.
The concerned parents have since threatened to hold a vigil to force the authorities to act on their concerns.
“The parents body was keen to move forward and resolve the matters in readiness for the 2022 / 2023 school season starting in September, 2022.
Parents felt the board had deliberately deployed delaying tactics in attempt to create a crisis as the new school year was fast approaching.
“This is when the injunction against the board was taken. The injunction was to restrain the board from discharging it’s duties to the school as parents had lost confidence in the board, until the issue of their legality is decided by the court,” reads part of the letter.
“The basis for calling the board illegal was that the board did not execute a Trust Deed document which created the school and would make them legal as trustees of the school.
“In the absence of that executed Trust Deed document, there wouldn’t be a legal board as the document created or established the Board.”
Speaking in a telephone interview, Ministry of Education Public Relations Officer Mphatso Nkuonera said the ministry is currently not aware of the issue and will only act if the concerned parties approach them.
“At the moment, we have not received any formal complaint and as such, we cannot do anything,” explained Nkuonera.
“Until we receive formal communication from the concerned parties, that is when we will act.
Last year, the parents dragged the school to court over the illegal appointment of the board of trustees which the parents say is failing to take action on several issues including dismissal of teachers, allegations of an affair between headteacher and a junior employee and the manhandling of a teacher at the school.
The parents also protested against the decision by the school to change uniform and logo without consulting them first.
