Karabo Ngoepe|Published
Calls for an education investigation in Vrede, Free State, are growing louder after a community organization accused two independent suspects schools of hiring unqualified teachers and contributing to declining student achievement.
The Phumelela Community Forum has issued an urgent advisory to parents, raising concerns about educational standards at Glodel Academy and Fountain of Knowledge Academy. The group claims some teachers may not have recognized qualifications, which it says affects academic outcomes and leaves students unprepared when they transition to public schools.
The forum also claims that certain students are allowed to rewrite tests just to advance to the next grade, a practice that the forum says could undermine their long-term prospects. It has appealed to the Free State Ministry of Education and the South African Council for Educators to intervene and says it plans to formally approach the authorities.
“When students transfer from these schools to public schools, they often struggle to cope due to inadequate preparation. We have witnessed cases where students have had to rewrite tests only to be pushed to the next grade, detrimental to their future,” the organization said.
A WhatsApp conversation between a parent and a recently resigned teacher indicates tensions within one of the schools. During the conversation, the parent asks whether the teacher still works there. The teacher responds, “I resigned last week, I didn’t like what they were doing to children and exploiting teachers.”
The parent responds that she had anticipated the dismissal and describes the teacher as outspoken and unwilling to tolerate what she called “the nonsense” at the school.
“Thank you, you are the voice of the voiceless. I felt like we were being bullied as parents, but you could just tell that I was the only parent who had serious concerns about the FET phase. Child development involves extramural activities. Anyway, I don’t know. Thank you,” the parent wrote.
In a separate ballot measure, a former teacher alleges unqualified hiring, claiming the practice is linked to low wages.
“The problem is that they hire unqualified people because they don’t want to pay; that’s the problem they face. You can’t pay a teacher R3,500 to teach a child. That’s why they now prefer people who have a grade 12. That’s the problem we face,” the teacher said.
Fountain of Knowledge Academy has pushed back against the allegations and issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to national standards and student achievement.
The school said claims circulating on social media are “false and based on unsubstantiated data,” adding that most students perform well within the national curriculum framework set by the Ministry of Basic Education.
The institution said it remains open to cooperation with parents and stakeholders, and invited anyone seeking verified information to contact the administration directly.
The director and founder of the Fountain of Knowledge Academy, Allen Patrick Domeke, acknowledged in a telephone interview that some teachers do not yet have the formal qualifications.
“When we opened the school, we approached qualified people, but they rejected us because they had no money. So I approached people who have a degree but are interested in education to work with us. We give them the opportunity to continue their studies and obtain their qualifications,” he said.
However, Domeke rejected claims that teachers are paid between R2,500 and R3,500 and questioned the motives behind the allegations.
“This is someone who is politically motivated, and we challenge them to provide proof that people are being paid R2,500 in the form of a pay slip. There is no one who is paid this amount in our school. We have no money, but that is too little to be a payment. Anyone who smears our name will not be tolerated and we will take legal action,” he said.
Glodel Academy has also strongly denied the allegations. Principal P Poshayi said the claims circulating online are unsubstantiated and do not reflect the school’s norms or conduct.
“We categorically deny the false and defamatory claims made against our school, staff and leadership. These allegations are unsubstantiated and do not reflect the values, standards and professional conduct that define our school community.
“As an institution committed to excellence, transparency and student well-being, we take all concerns seriously. We encourage anyone with legitimate concerns to follow the appropriate complaint procedures and communicate directly with school management,” he said.
The school confirmed that it is consulting legal representatives about the spread of what it calls false information and that it may take legal action to protect the reputation of the institution, its staff and students. It also called on the public to avoid sharing unverified claims, saying maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment remains a priority.
Glodel Academy, founded in 2004, says it offers education from Grade R to Grade 12 and follows the national curriculum in English. The independent school says it has about 200 students and 20 staff, and is registered with provincial education authorities and independent school bodies. It adds that the graduates are gaining South African qualifications and many alumni have gone on to universities at home and abroad.
Fountain of Knowledge Academy Combined Independent School, located in Thembalihle, Vrede, operates as a combined independent institution serving the local urban community. Admissions are handled directly by the school through a personalized process aimed at assessing the needs of each student.
The school reportedly has about 140 students and seven teachers. As a fee-paying institution, tuition is set by the administration to cover operating costs and educational resources, with fees varying by grade level and additional services offered.
The schools are registered with the Free State Ministry of Education, but not with the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) or the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA).
Glodel says on its website that “graduates receive a South African qualification that is recognized worldwide”.
The Free State Ministry of Education says it intervened after it received complaints on February 12, 2026 about the non-payment of January salaries to teachers at Fountain of Knowledge.
Spokesman Howard Ndaba said the official responsible for independent schools “instructed that payment should be made by the school owners with immediate effect”, and proof of payment was submitted on February 17.
Ndaba said the department has not received any formal complaints against Glodel Academy but is aware of the school’s poor matric performance.
“The department has not received any complaints about Glodel; however, the department is aware of their underperformance in the NSC Exams 2025” he said.
Responding to allegations that the schools employ unqualified or foreign teachers, Ndaba said the issue would be addressed during oversight processes.
“The department has already prepared accountability sessions for the underperforming independent schools where the issues of teacher qualifications and quality of education provided will be addressed.”
He also disputed claims that teachers earn only R2,500 a month. According to the Fountain of Knowledge department, “teachers get more than R2,500 per month; only the cleaner gets R2,000”, while teachers at Glodel Academy earn between R5,000 and R10,000.
Ndaba further confirmed that both schools have been registered: Glodel since 2005 and Fountain of Knowledge since 2013. He added that when it comes to performance, Glodel achieved a 100% pass rate in 2024 but dropped to 20% in 2025 after four out of five candidates failed. Fountain of Knowledge offers grades R-10 and does not yet administer the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.
Ndaba said the department will “follow up on these schools and ensure that all these challenges are resolved”.
Karabo Ngoepe
iol.co.za
