FEZEKA High School pupils in Gugulethu, Cape Town protested against their physical science teacher on Monday.
They held placards saying the teacher must step down because she likes booze more than her job.
Pupils claimed the teacher sometimes smelled as if she had slept in a tavern.
Grade 12 pupil Sivuyile Nomungeka (17) claimed: “The teacher doesn’t care about our future.”
He claimed the woman was often absent on Mondays.
“We want her to go because we are going to fail because of her.”
Another pupil, Kungawo Khalani (18), claimed the teacher recently gave them an assignment but returned their papers unmarked.
“When we asked why she didn’t mark the papers, she told us we wrote kak.”
Principal Kevin Hockey said he had spoken to the teacher several times.
“I kept her because it’s difficult to find physical science teachers. She kept saying she would change, but nothing has happened. Sometimes she comes to school smelling of alcohol.”
Jessica Shelver, a spokeswoman for Western Cape Education Department, said the principal contacted the district office and Safe Schools to inform them of the pupils’ protest.
“The Representative Council of Learners chairman handed over a memorandum to the principal, and an SGB meeting has been called to discuss this matter and the way forward.”