Back to school: Motshekga weighs in on fee, admissions debates

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has insisted that schools are prepared to welcome back students to the classroom on Monday 15 February, when the 2021 academic calendar formally kicks off for the year after a two week delay.

The minister revealed a host of updates on issues currently engulfing the department during a briefing of the media on Sunday, providing information on the school admissions and fee issues currently at the centre of fierce public debate. She conceded that there remain over 16 000 students without places at a South African school on the eve of the first day back. 

“Provinces have made good progress in placements, but there are still 16 117 learners awaiting spaces in schools,” said Motshekga

Schools ready to welcome back students  

Motshekga said that by and large, institutions are prepared to welcome students back, and said that the department will continue to assist schools who are struggling to ensure that they can provide a COVID-19 friendly environment to students with support and guidance. She added that the department is on track to release of the 2020 NSC exam results on 23February 2021.

“It has been three weeks, since we started phasing-in the reopening for the year 2021. School Management Teams returned on 25 January; and teachers have been back at work for two weeks now, since 1 February.”

“At the outset, we must emphasise that the health and safety of teachers, staff and learners remains at the top of the priority list.”

“We emphasise the critical importance of vigilance and strict adherence to the health and safety protocols, in order to save lives. The Directions have also been distributed to schools for implementation.”

Department continuing to monitor compliance  

Motshekga said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department has been monitoring the state of provinces on a regular basis to ensure that provinces have systems in place to cope under the pandemic.

“We will continue to maintain the delicate balance between health and safety in schools on the one hand, while on the other, we deal with the curriculum gaps, identified during the 2020 academic year,” she said. 

“Senior managers in the Sector, under the leadership of the Director-Genera!, have been working very hard to strengthen the already existing plans for 2021.”

Admission backlog being remedied

Motshekga said that the reason for the backlog of school admissions – an issue that has struck a particularly sensitive nerve with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – is due to a large influx of applications and demand. 

“The demand for space in schools, especially in Grades 1 and 8, remains a challenge for the Sector. All provinces, are experiencing a high demand in particular areas,” she said. 

She said that the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) met yesterday and that the matter of admissions was “identified as critical, because the system cannot afford to see any learners being left behind”. 

“It was agreed that provinces would work with speed to place all the learners in the next week. CEM appeals to parents and guardians to cooperate with officials at the District level, in order to accelerate the placement process.”

School fees ‘are mandatory in certain schools’

Motshekga said that because there are two types of public schools in the country – fee-paying schools and no-fee paying schools – there is only so much the department can do to assist with tuition being afforded to those who have been unable to pay.

“Fee-paying schools are allowed to charge school fees, as determined at the Annual General Meeting of the SGB. Therefore, the payment of school fees in such schools, is mandatory,” she said. 

“In terms of the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996, SGBs of a fee-paying schools have the authority to enforce parents to pay school fees through legal means. The liability of parents is determined through an affordability formula, which can be used to determine whether a parent can be exempted partially or fully from paying school fees.”

She said that the Department has received various other complaints relating to fees, including that schools that are reportedly charging parents registration deposits and exorbitant amounts to pay staff their section 42 bonuses. 

“This they do despite of the moratorium placed on the Public Service salary bill. We must advise schools to avoid such temptations; as the first is illegal; and second is completely unreasonable, especially as it is done and enforced under the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.