Principals and the school governing bodies are required by law to inform parents that they can be exempted from paying their children's school fees if they cannot afford to do so.
IOL readers had their say when asked: "Will the school fees exemption law be abused?"
Of the 502 readers who voted, the majority (78 percent) thought abuse of the exemption was inevitable, while 13 percent voted "Who cares?" and 10 percent said no.
Here are some of the comments:
Angelface:
Unfortunately any rebate or something like this will always be abused by certain people. I have found that people that really need this exemption are too proad to make use of it. And on the other hand, there are people who don't need it, but manage to gete exemption while dropping their kids off at school in a BMV or Merc. Abuse - It will always be there. But unfortunately it cannot be taken away. Maybe with the newe credit act they could allow schools to make use of this facility to check the real financial status of the parents?
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Zuleika:
This law has been in effect for more than a decade ... since the constitution included a child's right to a basic education. Has it been abused? Perhaps by some parents. Would you as a parent undermine the school facilities by not paying school fees? Would you as a parent apply for an exemption - lie on an application form about your income - and send your child to school with the feeling that you don't value their education enough to pay for it? It seems that about 80% of respondents think so - or perhaps they don't have the children? The fact is that a lot of parents pay the school fees fully knowing that some parents cant afford to - they shoulder the burden happily for those who can't - for the children's sake.
Eman at 2007-06-18 09:41:43
I'm working hard for my family and to send my daugther to school. If education can be free till a certain grade, it will help alot. Comprehensive proof must be proved before this law comes into effect, else I need it too.
Smanga:
I thought I was not going to comment today, but I can't help it. Why is everything here reduced to black and white? The school fees exemption law has got nothing to do with race, it's about helping parents who can not afford to pay school fees ... black or white. Whether we like it or not ... there are more parents of colour (black, indian and coloured) who cannot afford to pay school fees than their white counterparts - It's because the greater population of children who can not afford is mainly from these races. It's not to say the school fees exemption law is (only) designed for their kids - it's for everyone who CAN'T afford. If some white parents cannot afford to pay their kids' school fees, they need to take their kids to school where school fees exemption law applies. It's unfair to expect us as taxpayers to pay for kids in 'posh' schools. I went to a school where we were paying R450 per annum... The education was top notch, great facilities and so forth - I didn't have to go to George Campbell School of Technology to get my education. It would've been nice!
LL:
Assumming parents are alive and unemployed,how about involving in school activities or participation in SGBs as one of the factors considered when awarding these exemptions. Some parents plead poverty but they never attend school meetings at alls. The only time they show their faces before the tell a long story about how they can't afford to pay fees.
Abused System:
In East London schools this system is already abused! I know of two families that abuse this system and boy does it burn my but. I have 2 jobs so that I can pay what I need to, their kids go to the same school but they only pay a protion of the fees & yet they gamble, drink & go away on holiday at least 3 times a year. I would rather die than embarrass my kids by not paying fees, the lack of payment is taken out on the kids - not the parents. At this particular school the kids are called out in assembly but their parents don't seem to mind.
ian:
Oh please, how pathetic, this is just another form of this governments racist policies, lets see now, here we are whites must pay school fees just like we pay for everything else and blacks will pay for nothing, the usual racist bs, this continent is the daily joke of the western world.
nona:
Why is it a problem that school governing bodies should have to disclose this fact? If some people are eligible, they should be informed. As for scroungers Ian, it has nothing at all to do with race - try living in England to see how many whites live off the State. Education (or lack of) is probably the single most important challenge we face in South Africa. Learning must become a priority, its importance must become instilled into each child from birth. Perhaps if we learnt to share our resources and gave the poor a chance to become properly educated, there will come a day when those very people being given financial assistance today can extend the same help to others in need in the future.
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