An uneasy calm has returned to De Kruine High School in Touws River amid investigations into allegations of financial mismanagement against its acting principal.
Learners and parents closed down the school on February 24 demanding that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) launch an independent forensic probe into allegations that the school's funds were being misappropriated.
They also demanded that the acting principal, Michelle Fredericks and other implicated officials be put on suspension while the investigation was underway.
The WCED confirmed that some of the allegations were being investigated by the new interim school governing body (SGB).
Spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said that past allegations regarding financial mismanagement were investigated, "with no evidence of wrongdoing thus far".
However, according to the former SGB's treasurer Rosalind van Wyk, Fredericks and some of the officials had "a case to answer" with regards to the school's financial statements and status.
"When the SGB appointed me as treasurer in April 2022, I requested the financial statements but only received bank statements in October. From the statement I saw that between August and October a member of the SGB also received payments from the school which she was not supposed to,“ claimed Van Wyk.
The payments were allegedly in relation to an injury that the member's son sustained during a school rugby match, even though his father's medical aid had covered the costs.
"Nowhere in the financial policy of the school does it state that parents can make claims from school after the learners had injuries and their parents medical aids paid for medical care and hospitalisation.“
Van Wyk also claimed that on several occasions she received visits from Fredericks and the financial officer at her work to request that she sign a form to release some funds.
"I refused to do so. Even though I was treasurer I never received signatory powers to the school's bank account. It was only the acting principal and the financial officer who had access to it,“ she added.
A statement, allegedly reflecting the school's expenses in February 2022 showed several payments to a M Fredericks.
However, it was not clear what these payments were for.
Other demands by the parents include that the WCED probe:
* the shortage of teachers whose contracts were allegedly terminated without consultation with the SGB;
* reports that a disabled learner was refused enrolment at the school;
* the alleged flouting of financial decisions and policies by Fredericks regarding the requirement for three quotes for the 2022 matric ball in order to benefit certain people;
* deliberate withholding of the school's financial statement for scrutiny by the SGB and the parents;
"The school's finances can therefore not be managed as if they are spending their personal money," said the parents in their letter of demand.
Van Wyk added that at the end of January the SGB, whose term, was scheduled to end only in 2024, was "dissolved" by the WCED without any reasons being furnished to the members.
"None of us received a formal letter from the WCED to that effect. We were just told via the school that an interim SGB would be put in place. Ironically, one of the people who received money from the school is now part of the interim finance committee," she added.
Parent Madelyn Lackay said the parents and learners would now wait for an update from WCED on the investigations.
"This week parents pleaded with learners to continue with classes while the investigation is continuing. Hopefully we will receive an update or an outcome soon".
Weekend Argus