The 2003 Review on the Resourcing, Financing and Costs of Education in
Public Schools was very widely consulted and resulted in an "Action Plan" for
improving access to free basic education for all. The Review found the
following:
* parents who were unable to pay school fees were treated unfairly
* schools came up with all kinds of "hidden" expenses
* persons receiving grants on behalf of learners were not exempted
* schools did not inform parents of their right to apply for exemption
* schools discriminated against learners whose parents had not paid, or were
unable to pay, school fees
* in some cases, parents were taken to court unnecessarily and their property
was attached because of non-payment of school fees.
The review process and further consultation with various stakeholders
culminated in the amendment of the South African Schools Act, No 84 of 1996, by
the Education Laws Amendment Act, No 24 of 2005, the new Norms and Standards
for School Funding and, finally, the new Regulations Relating to the Exemption
of Parents from Payment of School Fees, published under General Notice No 1052
(Government Gazette No 29311 of 18 October 2006).
The Review was conducted because members of the public had expressed concern
about the situation and because practices that were current in the education
establishment at the time did little to help parents or the school community.
The Ministry trusts that the new Regulations will make schooling more
accessible to all. These new Regulations are an improvement on what was
previously available, because they contain a formula that can be used to
determine the extent of exemption that can be granted to a parent, taking into
account two parents' joint income, the number of children that a parent has at
public schools and any additional monetary amounts that a parent contributes to
the school.
The Ministry is keenly aware that most parents of all persuasions enrol
their children at public schools. The Ministry is also aware that many parents
continue to invest in the education of their children. Some parents can afford
to supplement the resources of the school by making voluntary contributions,
and the South African Schools Act allows for such contributions. Most parents
contribute by paying the compulsory school fees to which a majority of parents
attending a general meeting of parents in terms of the Schools Act have
agreed.
Parents and school governing bodies have also accepted that the right to
charge school fees is matched by an obligation to exempt parents who cannot
afford to pay school fees. The Ministry is aware that these Regulations will
reduce the income that schools will receive from school fees and urges parents,
school governing bodies and schools to raise funds by means of voluntary
contributions to make up for any deficit. There have been a number of reports
that suggest that amounts payable for items such as textbooks and educational
tours and excursions would be added to the school fees, which would lead to an
increase in school fees. The Ministry would like to state categorically that
neither the amended Schools Act, nor the new Norms and Standards for School
Funding, nor the new Exemption Regulations would lead to such an increase. The
policies and the legislation merely clarify an already existing provision in
regard to the levying of school fees. The Ministry would like to caution that
any increase in school fees might make it necessary for a school to exempt more
parents.
The Ministry is sympathetic to the fact that, in certain cases, the number
of exemptions granted is becoming burdensome and has requested the Department
of Education to provide it with a framework according to which less poor
schools could be subsidised for poor learners attending those schools. [This is
the key point that needs to be made.]
Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: (012) 312 5538
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: ngqengelele.l@doe.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Education
24 October 2006
