Parents of learners at Vuzamanzi Public Primary School in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, have called on the Western Cape education department to intervene after accusing the principal of sending children home if they haven’t paid for end-of-year farewell events.
The department denies the claims.
One concerned mother, who asked not to be named, said one of her two children at the school has been at home since she couldn’t pay the R600 the school requested.
“The school said she must come back when she has R600 for a farewell. I went to the school and explained that I rely on grant money and can’t afford it, but they still refused,” she said.
She fears her child will fall behind in her studies, adding that children were told to stay home until they could pay.
Parent Lumka Mda said this isn’t the only fee demanded by the school.
“They also asked us to pay R100 for electricity. Why is it our job to buy electricity? We want the department to step in because we don’t have money, and our kids must be allowed to return to school,” Mda said.
She said buying school uniforms is already a struggle for many parents.
“The most important thing is for our kids to have school uniforms. Other things are not important. We shouldn’t be forced to pay for them,” she said.
Western Cape education department spokesperson Unathi Booi said the school denied sending children home because they could not afford to contribute to the end-of-year farewell event.
“The costs of the Grade 7 farewell would amount to R600 per learner. Parents who couldn’t afford the amount were asked to contact the school to make an arrangement if needed. No child was sent away from school,” Booi said.
He said parents were told at a meeting on 17 October that the school’s funding for the rest of the year was running low and that they might face an electricity shortage.
Booi said the parents suggested donations of R100 to help the school cover electricity costs.
Pictured above: Learners at Vuzamanzi Public Primary School.
Source: SchoolsDigest.co.za
