By: Matshediso Selebeleng

The future of 19-year-old Khanya Mashee, a Grade 11 learner at Bluegumbosch Secondary School in Phutaditjhaba, hangs in the balance following a decision by the Free State Department of Education that has left him out of school since the start of the 2026 academic year. Mashee and his family claim that he has been unfairly denied his constitutional right to education after failing Grade 11 by just one percent, despite what they describe as consistent academic performance throughout the year. According to the family, Mashee has not attended school since the beginning of the year while awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his results — a situation they say has caused severe distress, as he continues to miss out on schoolwork and classroom support. Mashee’s parents, Julia and Likotsi Mashee, say they feel helpless and are pleading for their son to be allowed to complete high school without further obstacles. Julia Mashee alleges that when she collected her son’s third-term report card, his class teacher — who also teaches him Sesotho Home Language — told her that Khanya would “never set foot in Grade 12”, despite his overall performance during the year. She says she was shocked by the remark, adding that she had never previously been called to the school regarding misconduct or disciplinary issues. Julia further alleges that the teacher referred to her son as part of a “copying gang”, an issue she believed had already been resolved. In 2024, Mashee was caught cheating during examinations. He signed an acknowledgment letter with the school and was required to repeat Grade 11 in 2025 after failing the grade in 2024. According to the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), an organisation that provides legal support where learners’ rights are prejudiced, a learner who has already repeated a grade — or who would not benefit from repeating — may be progressed to the next grade with appropriate support. Progression, the organisation explains, allows a learner who has not met the minimum requirements to move to the next grade, provided that tailored academic support is put in place. The EELC further states that progressed learners must receive structured support, which may include classroom assistance with the curriculum and assessments, and that progression should not occur without such support. The Mashee family says they have exhausted all avenues for assistance, including approaching the district office, but Khanya remains excluded from the schooling system. They also dispute alleged inconsistencies in Khanya’s attendance records. According to Julia, her son’s first-, second- and third-term reports indicate that he was absent twice in the first term, three times in the second term, and not absent at all in the third term. However, the fourth-term report reflects nine days absent in the second term, 13 days in the third term, and 28 days in the fourth term — figures the family says were used to justify his second consecutive failure of Grade 11. The family appealed the results and requested a remark from the Department of Education, but the appeal was rejected. In a letter dated 22 January 2026, written by school principal Ernest Mbhele and seen by Journal News, the school outlined reasons for rejecting the request. “The learner does not meet the minimum pass rate required in Home Language. The school never received any complaint during the year regarding distasteful remarks from the teacher,” the letter reads. “The policy on progression does not permit the learner to be placed in the next grade. The learner does not attend school regularly.” Free State Department of Education spokesperson Howard Ndaba confirmed that the remark process had been completed and feedback provided to the family, although the family disputes the outcome. “We strongly advise the learner to attend classes and continue learning,” Ndaba said. “He failed to achieve the required 40% in his November examinations and does not meet the minimum progression requirements as per the DBE 2025 Circular.” Ndaba added that Khanya was absent for more than 20 days, and that full attendance records were available to his parents.