Durban - A Phoenix mother of two, said her children were denied their report cards because she was unable to pay the annual school fees after losing her job during lockdown.
The single mother, who lost her job as a hairdresser during the lockdown, has been trying for the last week to get their reports. While it is illegal to withhold reports, matric certificates and transfer cards, some schools are doing this to get parents to pay any outstanding fees.
“I am a hairdresser but I lost my job because the salon I worked in had closed. I have done some odd hair jobs at home but the money is not enough to live on. My children's father is not in the picture, so financially it's difficult."
The school fees for each child is R2 100.
“I can feed my children with that money. Last week, the kids felt bad when their friends got their reports and they didn't. I went to the school to discuss a payment plan. The principal initially refused to listen but he told me to return on Wednesday to discuss the matter."
Vee Gani, chairperson of the Parents Association of KZN, said he was inundated with similar calls from parents seeking help.
“Most of the complaints were from parents in schools in Phoenix and Chatsworth. One widow lost her casual job and on Friday she was told she could not get her child's report if she does not pay R1 000."
Gani said pupils should not be denied an education because parents could not afford school fees.
"We understand that with Covid-19 schools have been suffering financially as they generally rely on these payments to operate. Parents must make every effort to ensure they pay the fees but when they cannot afford it, they should discuss a payment plan. Schools also cannot deny admission or enrolment next year because parents have not paid the fees."
He said parents who could afford fees should pay them as it was a contract between the parent and the school. Gani said officials from the Department of Education had informed him that principals were warned not to withhold results.
Sue Larkan, the founder of Tabansi, that assists parents and pupils, said: “I have frantic parents calling me that their children did not get their transfer cards from grades 7 to 8. And that's not on. When I get these calls, I tell parents to go back to the school and make it clear that what is happening is illegal.”
She said that in terms of Section 25 of the National Protocol on Assessment 2011, a school may not withhold a report card.
"This regulation applies to both public and independent schools from grades R to 12."
She said parents should not sign an acknowledgement of debt form. “This ultimately signs away their lives because it means the school can take the matter up legally. Parents need to be wise and check the fine print.”
Larkan said most of the complaints she received were from the Western Cape, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Muzi Mhlambi, spokesperson for the Department of Education in KZN, said the position of the department was that no school was allowed to withhold report cards.
"We encourage parents to go to school and make an arrangement to pay the school fees with the principal. Normally, parents shy away from going to schools and send their kids instead. Schools cannot have a discussion about fees with the kids so parents should go through and they should definitely get the report card."
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