These were the words of Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo to all pupils and contract teachers as schools open today for the first time this academic calendar year.
He said this during an interview on Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) radio programme Letishisako, as well as at a press conference held by the ministry yesterday.
Initially, schools for the 2026 academic calendar year had been scheduled to open on January 20. However, due to the trail of destruction left by the torrential rains and storms that lasted for two weeks, the minister postponed the opening by a week to today.
He said just like other education stakeholders, pupils and contract teachers should report to school today.
The minister further advised contract teachers to proceed to their duty stations even if they had not yet received their contract renewal letters, stating that all outstanding issues would be addressed in due course.
Nxumalo said the ministry had done everything within its power to ensure that pupils and teachers found schools ready, although he acknowledged that there were still some matters requiring attention.
He said priority areas included the distribution of the Free Primary Education (FPE) grants and the school feeding scheme (zondle).
When asked about schools still undergoing renovation or construction following damage caused by torrential rains, Nxumalo said such schools should prioritise learner safety and avoid exposing pupils to unsafe learning environments.
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However, he clarified that he was not suggesting that learners from affected schools should stay at home.
About 10 schools in the Hhohho region were badly affected by rains, including Buhleni National High, Herefords High, Gija High, Mcuba Primary, Buhleni Primary, Mkhuzweni Primary, Lugongodlwane and Matfuntini Primary.
“Learners should go to school and teachers should report for duty. Contract renewal letters will be collected, and we will do everything as we proceed with our work to ensure a smooth opening of schools,” he said.
Nxumalo added that contractors had committed to completing outstanding works and expressed satisfaction that the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) had agreed to renew teachers’ contracts without causing disruptions.
The minister also stated that as the ministry was engaged in a right-sizing process, it had decided to renew contracts for teachers already in schools to avoid disruption to learning.
He added that Principal Secretary in the ministry Naniki Mnisi, together with TSC, had attended to the matter, and that teachers were expected to collect their contract renewal letters from their respective regional education offices.
“Teachers should go back to school and teach learners, and their letters will follow. We will also be inspecting some schools,” he said.
During the press conference yesterday, Nxumalo said the ministry had extensively discussed schools opening with officials and confirmed that schools would open as planned, as most arrangements were now in place.
He also reminded private schools of their obligation to report to the Ministry of Education and Training, noting that although the opening of schools had been extended, some private schools had proceeded with their own calendars.
“We condemn this. While we understand that private schools have their own calendars, national announcements must be respected. We will ask the PS to formally engage private schools on this matter,” he said.
