No-fee schools forcing parents to pay ‘donations’ or risk children being excluded 

The Mpumalanga Department of Education has expressed concern over reports that some schools have withheld learners’ progress reports and refused them admission if they did not pay ‘donations’ to the school and hand over two reams of printer paper each.

A parent who did not want to be named to protect her 11-year-old daughter detailed how she was told to fork out a R200 once-off donation, printer paper, and a packet of 10 toilet paper rolls for her daughter to be admitted to Grade 7.

The mother, who relies on the R480 social grants of two of her three children, explained that her second-born daughter has passed Grade 6 at Kgantsho Primary School in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga.

Kgantsho Primary School only offers foundation phase (Grade R-6) and now she has to move to the intermediate phase (Grades 7-9) offered at the nearby Rorobhani Primary School in Mountain View.

ALSO READ: Western Cape public and no-fee schools paying millions in bank charges

Education is expensive, even when it’s free

When she went to Kgantsho Primary School for her daughter’s progress report and transfer, she was told to first hand over two reams of printer paper and a packet of toilet paper which she ostensibly owed from the previous year.

Two 500-sheet reams of print paper costs about R160 (2 × R80) and a pack of 10 toilet rolls costs about R40.

However, Rorobhani Primary School also asked for two reams of paper and 10 toilets rolls, bringing the total amount the unemployed single mother ended up paying for her daughter to access education to R400.

“This on top of R1 200 I spent on uniform. This in a public school, in a poor community, that is supposed to be a no-fee school. I do not understand why I must pay so much money, and money I do not have. This is why our social grant cards are held by loan-sharks,” she said.

Parents coerced

The Economic Freedom Fighters conducted a back-to-school campaign to ensure that no child was denied access to education in all provinces.

The party representatives in Mpumalanga and Limpopo confirmed that parents were coerced to pay donations and additional stationery.

Mpumalanga secretary Jack Malatjie said they were encouraged by the department’s swift response to condemn this tendency.

“The School Governing Bodies agree with parents in meetings that those who can should make donations or help with printing and toilet paper. However, some schools abuse this agreement and force parents to pay. That is the problem and this is the reason we embarked on this campaign,” he said.

He explained that no-fee schools were mandated by the South African Schools Act to raise funds through donations, fundraising events and other functions as well as from parents.

“But you cannot withhold a learners’ progress report or refuse them admission because they do not have a donation, printing or toilet paper. Some schools have made this mandatory when it is supposed to be voluntary,” Malatjie added.

No to undue pressure

The provincial Department of Education stressed that there must be no instance where undue pressure, financially or otherwise, was put on parents and learners to buy anything extra.

The Mpumalanga Department of Education spokesperson, Jasper Zwane, said no parent should be forced to buy extra stationery to top up on the departmentally issued Learning and Teaching Support ( LTSM) Packs.

He said the stationery allocated to schools was within the nationally prescribed norms and standards as set by the Department of Basic Education, and is ample to cater for all subjects offered in their No Fee Schools in the Province.

ALSO READ: ‘No-fee’ schools turn away children who can’t pay

“This is done such that there will be no need to augment it. To this end, all No Fee Schools’ Principals are, therefore, advised to utilise the departmentally allocated stationery. The allocated stationery would suffice to cater for all educational needs as advised by curriculum experts and schools are hence advised not to punish or disadvantage parents and learners in this regard but to co-operate with the contents of this circular,” Zwane said.

Limpopo Department of Education spokesman, Mike Maringa, said there were widespread complaints about parents being coerced to pay donations and buy extra material, but said they have not received any formal complaint.

He said no parent should be forced to pay or buy anything as schools were allocated funds according to the number of learners.

“The matter will be investigated upon receipt of a formal complaint. We urge parents to come forward with such information,” he said.

NOW READ: It could cost you close to R1 million to give your child a basic education