The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has intervened at Umkhumbane Secondary School following an ongoing boycott by 22 teachers over the installation of CCTV cameras inside classrooms.
The dispute, which began last year, centers on the purpose of the surveillance equipment. While the department and the school governing body maintain the cameras were installed strictly for safety and security—to address theft and bullying—teachers allege the devices are being used to monitor and spy on them during lessons.
A KZN Education Department spokesperson acknowledged the surface-level justification for the cameras but confirmed the department is investigating the educators’ concerns. “It would appear like that on the surface that this is what the installation of those cameras was for and as a department we fully support that,” the spokesperson said. “But the teachers felt that they were being used for ulterior motives which we are here to establish as a department.”
The spokesperson added that officials are working to determine “what broke down in terms of communicating the purpose of those cameras to the teachers,” noting that the department “can’t believe that the pure installations of cameras to safeguard the schools could lead to such a breakdown in communication.”
The boycott has raised questions about the employment status of the 22 educators. A representative from the teaching union SATU stated that the teachers remain accountable and are reporting to departmental offices. “The department knows where the educators are. They are reporting to their offices… and we are of the understanding that they have been gainfully employed wherever they would have been,” the SATU representative said.
The union argued that disciplinary measures under Section 14 may be unnecessary, emphasizing that “the department, who are initiators of Section 14, are the people that should be knowing exactly where these educators are.”
However, parents at Umkhumbane Secondary School have taken a firm stance, unanimously calling for the 22 teachers to be replaced. Community representatives cited a complete breakdown in trust and expressed concern that the teachers’ return would destabilize the school further.
“The relationship has actually completely broken and they don’t believe them coming back to the school is going to make the school stable; rather it’s going to cause more instability,” a parent spokesperson said. “We are also worried about the teachers that were left at school teaching because they were called names by those who left.”
The parent spokesperson added that reconciliation appears unlikely in the near term: “We are not foreseeing any possible working together at the school at the moment if those teachers come back.”
Meanwhile, the Education Department has faced criticism for the pace of its intervention in the matter. Officials have reiterated their commitment to resolving the dispute while prioritizing learner welfare and school stability.
The department continues to engage with all stakeholders as it seeks a resolution that addresses security needs, educator concerns, and the educational environment for pupils.
