The disappearance of a teacher’s lollipop has ended badly for Grade 7 learners at Mbekweni High School in Ntabethemba, Eastern Cape.
The teacher suspended the learners when the lollipop — also known as a “stick sweet” or “stock sweet” — went missing from her desk.
An angry parent, speaking anonymously, said when her daughter came home during school hours “I was shocked to hear that she was suspended because a teacher’s stick sweet went missing and no one knows who took it”.
Later that day, she found out that other learners had also been suspended for the same reason.
“I visited other parents to find a way forward because I know that suspending kids because of [the theft of] a stick sweet is illegal,” said the parent.
They went to the school to speak with the teacher.
“We heard her side of the story, and we didn’t argue with her because we weren’t there when it happened,” said the parent. “We suggested that we each buy her stick sweets so that our kids could go back to class but she refused.”
The teacher allegedly told them she didn’t want so many lollipops, just the one that she believed the learners stole.
“Where are we going to get that sweet stick? We need the department to intervene. Our kids can’t miss classes because of a stick sweet,” she said.
“As parents, we did our bit by offering to replace the missing sweet with five others but she refused.”
Malibongwe Mtima, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Education Department, said the matter is being handled and the affected learners have been told to return to school.
“The district is investigating this matter, and if anyone has been found wrong, we will take action,” said Mtima.
Pictured above: Sweets.
Image source: Stock
