PEKA – THERE was a time when Peka High School was in the Ivy League of Lesotho’s schools. Being a graduate or student of Peka was like a badge of honour.
A centre of excellence, the school that could guarantee ‘A’ grades and open doors for life.
It attracted students from every corner of Lesotho. Others came from as far as neighbouring South Africa, lured by a well-earned reputation borne out of a strong all-round record.
It produced many of Lesotho’s top professionals that include High Court judges, medical and veterinary science doctors, academics, architects and the finest athletes and sportsmen.

Established by the Lesotho Evangelical Church of Southern Africa (LECSA) in 1959, Peka rose to become one of the best schools in Lesotho, a high school of choice for many parents and students, an undeniable educational pearl.
Even today former students speak nostalgically about those glorious days.
But while most have done well for themselves and rose to the echelons of government and business, their Alma Mata has been in steep decline over the years.
Peka High School is teetering on the verge of collapse and fighting for its survival.
The school that started with 240 students back in the 1950s can now only accommodate about 60 students and 13 teachers.
Infrastructure is collapsing.

An incomplete block stands abandoned and dilapidated, its windows and doors broken and the ceiling falling off.
Other buildings were also in deplorable condition when thepost visited recently. The outgrown shrubs are chocking the school yard.
In stark contrast to its glorious past, the school has now become the last resort for students who are unable to find vacancies elsewhere.
Its academic performance has deteriorated to shocking and embarrassing levels.
Notably, all eight students that wrote the Lesotho General Certificate in Secondary Education (LGCSE) in 2020 failed.

Sporting activities have become a thing of the past as once pristine sport grounds lie dilapidated, underlining the multifaceted challenges faced by the school.
Some organisations, individuals and former students are willing to help the school return to its glory days, but they admit it’s a daunting task.
One of them is Sofonea Shale of the Development for Peace Education (DPE), who has been roped in to facilitate dialogue between the school management, staff and alumni.
“Apportioning blame will not serve any purpose at this juncture. Rather, honesty will go a long way in finding a solution,” Shale said.

Pinning down the root causes of the school’s demise is not an easy task. Diagnoses differ according to who you ask.
Others put it down to lack of leadership which they say left the school rudderless. Insiders say staff meetings are far in between. And when they do happen, they often degenerate into shouting matches between the school administration and staff.
The lack of resources and maintenance of infrastructure, low and declining enrolment, demotivated learners and teachers and a debt of over M100 000 with the Water and Sewerage Company (Wasco) sum up the sad story of the school’s deterioration.
Icy relations with members of the community has not helped matters.

There are complaints that instead of teaching, some teachers drink during working hours.
Former students are far from pleased by the situation, and the school’s alumni group, the Ex-Peka High School Students Association (Exphisa), is lamenting the ruination of the institution.
The association has now set its sight on restoring the school’s legacy.
“We want to rekindle the spark ingrained in the school motto, Luceat Lux Vestra (Let Your Light Shine),” said Exphisa Secretary, Matsobane Putsoa.

Exphisa was formed after the celebration of the school’s Golden Jubilee in 2009. This followed concerns by the alumni that their alma mater had deteriorated to frightening levels.
“We want to reclaim our school’s lost character formation and building, good performance in sports and recreation, cleanliness and neatness. We are pushing for accountability, the pursuit of excellence and all other traits that Peka was famous for,” said Putsoa.
He said the association has made attempts in the past, including getting representation in the school board with the hope that they will be able to observe challenges first hand and be in a position to influence trends at the school.

The association also held a workshop for teachers to try and motivate them and to inculcate team spirit and unity among staff members.
Recently, he said, some association members visited the school twice for “cordial soul searching meetings with the principal and teachers in order to get to the bottom of the rot and to build consensus in terms of solutions”.
Last week, Exphisa held another workshop as part of ongoing consultations.
“People in this kind of situation usually have conflicts…we have seen it and we are seeking a way out of such a scenario,” he said, noting that massive work is needed to build trust, confidence, unity and a shared vision.

“People were still pointing fingers at each other but after this meeting I believe things will be different as we even brought a qualified mediator in peace building,” he said, referring to Shale from the DPE.
“We need peace amongst stakeholders for the betterment of the school and we will do all we can to assist. We can only start looking for help with funds from other stakeholders if the environment and relations are peaceful.”
“It is really disheartening and we still care 60 years down the line. Knowing that the school that has made me who I am has regained its reputation will be so fulfilling.”
Exphisa Chairman, Tlohang Sekhamane, said no one wants to work in a toxic environment.
“Everyone wants to be proud of their workplace.”

He encouraged the Peka alumni to use available resources and partner with experts to help the school management.
“Exphisa has big ambitions and grand plans for Peka,” said Sekhamane.
However, he said, that vision can only be realised if the bad relations between the principal and the teachers are resolved amicably and conclusively.
“Otherwise all our efforts will be in vain. Therefore, the distinct and unequivocal purpose is to build rapport between the principal and teachers.”
He said unlike before, current attempts to restore normalcy are inclusive to ensure there is a buy-in from various stakeholders.

“This time we involved them from the beginning and they decided there was a need for this kind of meeting. I really thought there will be more conflicts considering how bad things were but luckily, they managed to build harmony and even brought strategies that we can implement together,” said Sekhamane.
’Mamokoena Selepe, a teacher at the school, blamed poor leadership for the mess.
“Things changed when students embarked on a strike against the principal accusing him of spending the school’s money with mistresses. He immediately got expelled,” Selepe said. “The situation improved after his dismissal.”

One of the teachers acted as a principal in 2009 and the situation “was OK” until a permanent principal was hired, said Selepe.
“It was very bad as he did not know how to teach, he never addressed students and we did not know the subjects that he taught for a whole year.”
Selepe said the school board fired the new principal after three years.
The current principal has failed to improve the situation, she said, adding that “he is stubborn, doesn’t delegate, doesn’t listen to us and does whatever he wants with the teachers close to him, the ones he calls his people”.
“His leadership skills affect our work because he uses divide and rule tactics,” Selepe charged.

She said aggrieved teachers have approached different stakeholders, including the board, which has failed to act.
Only Exphisa and the Education Commission seem interested in engaging the teachers and also offer help, said Selepe.
“However, I believe this initiative will yield positive results,” she said, adding that working at Peka High School has tarnished her track record.
“I am no longer proud of my work, the situation has affected my CV,” she said.
Another teacher, Tatjana Ramaketekete, said the current principal lacks the credentials to drive the school forward.

“He uses the ‘I lead you follow me strategy’. We don’t even know if he has a strategy. If he has one, then it’s not working because he doesn’t collaborate with us,” Ramaketekete said.
“We really are doing our job as teachers but without his support, all our efforts are in vain. Our results are very poor and we hardly get second class in examinations,” he said, urging colleagues to “find it in their hearts to forgive each other and move on for the sake of students”.
“We will not be able to deliver if we continue with the unhealthy relationships” he said.
’Mahlobohang Ntšala, also a teacher at the school, said the poor performance by students and the low enrollment is due to several factors that include decision making and lack of resources.
She further said the introduction of the government’s fee structure worsened the situation.
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“Parents started taking their children out because of lack of money and other costs were expensive,” she said.
She also said most students are sponsored and the government often delays in disbursing the money to the school. Some parents were also defaulting on fees payment.
“Along the way, we face a lot of problems. Currently we don’t even have photocopier, paper, ink, electricity and no books,” she said, adding that as a policy, the school does not provide books to learners with outstanding fees.
The Principal Hlakacha Lekopa denied responsibility for the rot, saying the school was already in the doldrums when he was appointed in 2015.

“The reception I received from the beginning was hostile as boarding students went on strike within a month (of my arrival) demanding meat. I had to close the boys’ boarding hostel as it was a source of strikes,” he said, accusing some teachers of influencing the children to rebel.
“They used children and influenced them to strike with the explanation that I hinder them from doing their jobs,” he said, adding that the strike happened again the following year. “I only started getting on my feet recently,” he said.
Lekopa rubbished allegations that he doesn’t consult widely when making key decisions, saying he works with heads of departments, class teachers and his deputy.

“I sometimes delegate work to people whom I know will do the job. Some don’t listen to me and don’t take responsibility. We already have scarce resources and instead of protecting them some of the belongings are left lying around and end up being stolen,” he charged.
“Teachers do as they please; they stay at home for a week without any explanation or providing proof of sick notes. It affects the ability of the administration to do its job.”
He also said he has repeatedly sought the intervention of different stakeholders to no avail.
He said the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is aware of the state of the school because he has asked for its help before.
“With the water crisis, I wasn’t assisted,” he said.

The chairman of the school board, Motšoane Nyelimane, said the intervention of former students could be the panacea that the school has been seeking all along.
“It’s sad but what Exphisa has done has healed my soul. All these three terms were unsatisfactory and I always wondered what I would do to ensure good communication amongst teachers and the principal.”
He said the problem started well before the current principal joined the school.
The Lesotho Evangelical Church of Southern Africa (LECSA) schools secretary, Dr Liphapang Senekal, said one of the schools run by LECSA faced similar problems and teachers there “reasoned like those at Peka”.

“Now we are discussing its closure,” he warned the aggrieved teachers.
He thanked Exphisa for the efforts to resolve the issues affecting the school.
The chairman of the Education Commission, Sebata Ramokotla, said the commission also tried to intervene since 2010 without much success.
“We are really happy for Exphisa’s efforts…hopefully this time we will win,” Ramokotla said.
He said the problems multiplied during the absence of a substantive principal between 2007 and 2011.

“When the problem was finally solved, the principals appointed to the school were too old and were unable to handle the issues. Lack of coordination made things worse,” he said.
He said all teachers are qualified “and we expect good results. They can do their job. The only problem is working in silos. I am hopeful that things will change for the better”.

“Parents started taking their children out because of lack of money and other costs were expensive,” she said.
She also said most students are sponsored and the government often delays in disbursing the money to the school. Some parents were also defaulting on fees payment.
“Along the way, we face a lot of problems. Currently we don’t even have photocopier, paper, ink, electricity and no books,” she said, adding that as a policy, the school does not provide books to learners with outstanding fees.

The Principal Hlakacha Lekopa denied responsibility for the rot, saying the school was already in the doldrums when he was appointed in 2015.
“The reception I received from the beginning was hostile as boarding students went on strike within a month (of my arrival) demanding meat. I had to close the boys’ boarding hostel as it was a source of strikes,” he said, accusing some teachers of influencing the children to rebel.
“They used children and influenced them to strike with the explanation that I hinder them from doing their jobs,” he said, adding that the strike happened again the following year. “I only started getting on my feet recently,” he said.

Lekopa rubbished allegations that he doesn’t consult widely when making key decisions, saying he works with heads of departments, class teachers and his deputy.
“I sometimes delegate work to people whom I know will do the job. Some don’t listen to me and don’t take responsibility. We already have scarce resources and instead of protecting them some of the belongings are left lying around and end up being stolen,” he charged.
“Teachers do as they please; they stay at home for a week without any explanation or providing proof of sick notes. It affects the ability of the administration to do its job.”

He also said he has repeatedly sought the intervention of different stakeholders to no avail.
He said the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is aware of the state of the school because he has asked for its help before.
“With the water crisis, I wasn’t assisted,” he said.
The chairman of the school board, Motšoane Nyelimane, said the intervention of former students could be the panacea that the school has been seeking all along.
“It’s sad but what Exphisa has done has healed my soul. All these three terms were unsatisfactory and I always wondered what I would do to ensure good communication amongst teachers and the principal.”

He said the problem started well before the current principal joined the school.
The Lesotho Evangelical Church of Southern Africa (LECSA) schools secretary, Dr Liphapang Senekal, said one of the schools run by LECSA faced similar problems and teachers there “reasoned like those at Peka”.
“Now we are discussing its closure,” he warned the aggrieved teachers.
He thanked Exphisa for the efforts to resolve the issues affecting the school.
The chairman of the Education Commission, Sebata Ramokotla, said the commission also tried to intervene since 2010 without much success.
“We are really happy for Exphisa’s efforts…hopefully this time we will win,” Ramokotla said.
He said the problems multiplied during the absence of a substantive principal between 2007 and 2011.

“When the problem was finally solved, the principals appointed to the school were too old and were unable to handle the issues. Lack of coordination made things worse,” he said.
He said all teachers are qualified “and we expect good results. They can do their job. The only problem is working in silos. I am hopeful that things will change for the better”.

’Mapule Motsopa