With the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown adding to the economy shrinking and inflation rocketing, more and more South Africans are either losing their jobs or are finding it hard to keep up with their monthly expenses.
The past few years have already seen many people struggling to keep up with basic payments such as rent, water & lights, transport and even food. However, the recent two year lockdown restrictions have certainly added to the challenges consumers face, with inflation and now the war in Ukraine being a factor for residents unable to even dig deeper into their pockets.
Locally, a number of parents are unable to pay their kid’s school fees with many also cancelling essentials, such as their monthly medical aid subscriptions and cutting down on entertainment. It is a matter of survival for many, whilst government continues to waste billions of rand through corruption. However, seemingly, some local schools including the private schools are not being sympathetic towards parents unable to pay the school fees for their children. Even some of the state owned schools seem to be culprits in this matter, despite policies in place that no learner shall be denied an education. In one of the recent incidents of a parent complaining about the school of his child “harassing” for fee exemption, a local father approached the Laudium Sun for assistance in this regard.
Shahid Mohammed of Bengal Street told the Laudium Sun, this past Tuesday (Mar 22) that his child (name, class and gender withheld) has been at Laudium Secondary School for the past three years. Due to financial constraints, Shahid could not pay the fees last year and so was asked to fill in a fee exemption form at the beginning of the year, which was approved.
Shahid added, “I told my child late last month to ask the school for the fee exemption form for this year, as they did not give us one. Normally, early January, we are informed that parents have a certain time to apply for a fee exemption. But, when my child went to the school secretary, she refused to give a form saying that it was too late to apply as the closing date was February 5 and that the exemption forms were already given in November to learners. I then went the very next day to the school to find out what was happening, so I spoke to the school governing body member, Amien Osman, who told me that he could not help me. I explained to him that I filled in a form previously and it was approved and I was not sure why we never got a form for this year. I explained that I was facing difficulties in affording to pay the fees due to financial constraints. I then tried to see the principal and even tried calling her, but each time I was told that she was unavailable. The school seems to be turning into a problem school, as parents are not able to speak to those in charge and when you do finally get hold of someone, they are not willing to help or listen.”
The Laudium Sun contacted Principal Renitha Singh for comment on this matter, who said, “I am aware of the problem. I can confirm that the parent has been assisted previously with regards to fee exemption. I will look into the matter and see how we can assist him.”
Amien told the Laudium Sun, “I can’t recall this parent coming to me, besides we had a deadline for parents to seek fee exemption.”
A Department of Education official told the Laudium Sun, that no learner can be deprived of schooling, irrespective of fees being in arrears. There is also a policy to assist, where parents are unable to afford fees at state schools.
