High Court Ruling

Message from the Rector:

"In the High Court of Zimbabwe yesterday, 17th June 1997, the Judge ruled in favour of Peterhouse. He found that the two teachers who claimed that they had been unlawfully dismissed, in terms of their contracts with the school, ceased to be employed by Peterhouse on 31 December 1996. The teachers concerned have 21 days to appeal to the Supreme Court."

NEWS FLASH !!!!!!

1 September 1997 Message from the Executive Council of the School:

"Petreans may be aware that at the end of 1996 several teachers' contracts came to an end. Two of them claimed (in substance) through the labour tribunal mechanism that they had been unfairly dismissed, they had been dismissed on grounds of race, the Rector was a racist and Peterhouse was a racist insistution. They demanded, amongst other things, payment of lost salary for the rest of their lives. Their claims have been reported in Zimbabwe press and The Sunday Mail has run several derogatory articles about Peterhouse as a consequence.

The Executive Council of the school rejects all these allegations totally.

In order to bring the matter to the end the school took the matter to the High Court to get a ruling as to whether the teachers had been "dismissed" or whether it was merely a case of their respective contracts having come to an end. On 17 June 1997 the Judge ruled in favour of Peterhouse. He found that the two teachers who claimed that they had been unlawfully dismissed had, in terms of their contracts with the school, ceased to be employed by the school on 31 December 1996. The teachers concerned have each exercised their rights to appeal to the Supreme Court and the case will be heard at some time in the future.

Set out below is the school's response to the accusations which were made some time ago in The Sunday Mail:

Claim - Nine black teachers left within a space of two years - inferring discrimination on the part of the school authorities. The fact is that since April 1994 9 white staff and 12 black staff joined the staff. A total of 14 white, 8 black and one Indian have left. Detail of the 8 black teachers who have left are as follows:-

Teacher A: resigned to return to the church.

Teacher B: was not offered a permanent position after one years probation as he was considered incompetent.

Teacher C: resigned after numerous instances of drunken behaviour.

Teacher D: died in service.

Teacher E: was not offered a permanent position after a period of probation.

Teacher F: was not offered a permanent position after a period of probation.

Teacher G: resigned to join the University.

Teacher H: was on a two term contract - he broke his contract leaving in the middle of his second term.

Claim - Peterhouse boys are forced to sing a racist hymn. (Hymn 68 from the Hymnal "100 Hymns".). The fact is that this hymn has never been sung at Peterhouse. The Hymn book itself is not "The Peterhouse Hymn Book" and was distributed many years ago throughout Zimbabwe.

Claim - Most of the teachers are expatriates. Fact - untrue. Out of a total of 74 teachers at Peterhouse schools 12 are expatriates.

Claim - Peterhouse refuses to display a portrait of the President. Fact - Two properly framed and mounted portrait of the President were hung for many years in the main entrance of the administration block. A second portrait was hung in the new Humphrey Gibbs Centre before the building was officially opened on the first of November 1996. The unframed poster of the President that was stuck on the common room wall was considered disrespectful to the President and was removed.

Claim - Peterhouse does not sing the National Anthem. Fact - The National Anthem is sung in the customary way on all appropriate occasions.

Claim - Peterhouse did not mark Africa Day. Fact - being a rural boarding school it is not practical to send pupils home for one day should Africa day fall on a weekend."


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