Lesufi pleads with parents to pay school fees

In an interview this week on 702 with Afternoon Drive talk show host Joanne Joseph, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi pleaded with parents who can afford to pay for school feels to continue paying them.

Also Read: Minister of education urges parents to continue paying fees

The issue of payment of school fees has been a hot topic among parents both on and off social media as parents now homeschooling their kids due to the coronavirus school closures have questioned whether they should pay while no teaching ‘service’ is being delivered by schools.

Lesufi said: “My plea to parents is to say, those that can afford, please pay. Those that can’t afford, please register that you can’t afford so that the school can plan.

“This amount that you are paying every month, you might find that you are paying for an additional teacher … you might lose a skilled or qualified teacher purely because there were no payments because 70% of the running costs of the school goes to the payment of educators, so it is very crucial that when you take that kind of decision that you take it in the interests of your child and the school rather than your personal interests,” added Lesufi.

Also Read: DBE warns schools planning to reopen in May

With regards to the role that government would play in determining the payment or non-payment of school fees during the lockdown Lesufi pointed towards the individual school governing bodies as being the first point of contact. The determination of the school fees and the payment of school fees was only a decision of the SGB and parents of that particular school.

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