Portfolio Committee on Basic Education Chairperson Joy Maimela says penalising learners for their parents’ socio-economic circumstances is “unjust and unethical”. “A learner’s academic progress and access to report cards can and must never be used as leverage to compel parents to contribute financially or participate in fundraising activities,” said Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela, during a recent discussion. This comes as Parliament has raised serious concerns over reports that some schools and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are unlawfully withholding academic report cards from learners and placing financial pressure on parents at no-fee schools.
“Government makes provision for learner teacher support material (LTSM), including stationery, at no-fee paying schools. SGBs or school managements can therefore not implement new measures that are in conflict with legislation, regulations and policies,” she said. Maimela stressed that participation in fundraising initiatives at schools is voluntary and that learners must not be punished or discriminated against because of their parents’ socio-economic circumstances.
“Penalising learners for the socio-economic circumstances of their parents is unjust, unethical and contrary to the aim and principles of equity and inclusivity that underpin South Africa’s education system,” she said. She warned that pressuring parents at no-fee schools to incur costs undermines the very purpose of the policy. “Parents who have enrolled their children in no-fee schools should not be pressured, directly or indirectly, to incur costs that the law explicitly seeks to prevent.
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Such actions defeat the very purpose of the no-fee school policy,” Maimela added. The committee has called on provincial education departments to urgently intervene where such practices are reported and to ensure that school management teams and SGBs fully understand their legal obligations. It said it would continue to exercise oversight to ensure compliance with the South African Schools Act, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and relevant departmental policies. Parents and guardians experiencing these challenges have been urged to report them to their provincial education departments and to escalate the matter where necessary.
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