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 Says the school does not have a cent in its bank account and that the eThekwini municipality has threatened to switch off electricity unless R40,000 is paid 

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A DURBAN high school principal, who allegedly expelled pupils after their failure to pay school fees, will be investigated by the Department of Education.

In a strongly worded letter Ntokozo Ngobese wanted to know from their parents why they could not pay R1.33c a day to contribute to the R400-a-year school fees.

Ngobese allegedly expelled 234 Chesterville Extension Secondary School pupils because they had not paid their school funds.

The grade 11 and 12 pupils claim Ngobese told them they would not be allowed to attend classes until their parents had paid or had provided him with a legitimate explanation for nonpayment.

The school's matric pass rate was 86% last year,while it stood at 96% in 2010.

A parent, Mathu Msomi, said expulsions were common at the school.

"Some of the children are orphans, and those who take care of them have to balance between providing them with food and paying school fees. Parents are fed up with Ngobese for expelling pupils every year," said Msomi.

But Ngobese denied expelling the pupils.

"The letter was only a reminder to the parents that they have not yet paid the school fees. I did not expel pupils from the school. All I ask is for them to come with their parents to explain when the school fees will be paid. Though this is a fee-paying school, the law does not allow children to be expelled," he said.

Only 209 of the 936 pupils have paid part of the R400 due this year.

Ngobese said the school did not have a cent in its bank account and that the eThekwini municipality has threatened to switch off electricity unless R40,000 was paid.

"I wrote a letter to the municipality pleading with them to give us time. I have also written to other service providers who have been sitting on my head," he said.

Ngobese said teachers employed by the school governing body were also not paid last month.

"Providing quality education to our pupils is our core business, but we need parents to meet us halfway ..."

He said the school fees had not increased for the past seven years.

Education spokesman Sihle Mlotshwa said if Ngobese was found to have expelled pupils, he will have broken the law.

"The law is clear. The principal has no reason whatsoever to expel pupils. He should address the issue with parents while education remains uninterrupted. We will investigate the matter."

Comments

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Tue May 21 10:30:19 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 25, 2012

Pointman

Never mind the law. How is the principal expected to run the school without resources. He says he did not expel anybody. If you take a sample of those same parents and follow them you will find them walking out of bottles stores with cases of beer of fridays. Some South Africans are good at shirking their responsibilities.
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Jul 25, 2012

Traveljunie

pathetic behaviour from the parents.
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Jul 25, 2012

Mas-culin

@Pointman
I totally agree with you...

masculinnkosi_gmail
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Jul 25, 2012

Dzel

R 400 a year ... surely that is not too much to pay for your child’s education. We need to get rid of this culture of entitlement; we all have to pay services we get from government.

Sowetan some of your stories encourage wrong behaviour, instead of coming up with the money parents know they can run to the newspapers and they will be made to look like victims. Whilst expulsions can never be condoned over this matter I fully support the principal, parents must explain what is stopping them from paying fees and only in deserving cases should the fee be waivered.

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Jul 25, 2012

Secretary

That is what we want from our principals.The principal must be able to defend him in a good manner for a good course. I am convince that the principal is in order. I know the situation very well. It is not easy to attract the attention of parents unless you pest a child. however our law is equaly ignorant like Zuma.
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Jul 25, 2012

Sinudeity_

During apartheid, the goverment didnt want to create a culture of beggars under the Afrikaans people. As such, all students had to pay annual school fees. Even though it was a tiny amount, it believed that it would remove them from a culture of reliance on handouts.
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Jul 25, 2012

Sinudeity_

Dzel - Morning buddy.
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Jul 25, 2012

Mellow

Haaibo leave the poor principal alone now, he tried coming up with a solution mos honestly if the parents are responsible enough they will see how desperate this situation is. Was the principal even wrong to suggest that they contribute R1.33 I mean most of their kids are spoilt anyways they give them R50 pocket money on a daily basis buys them expensive clothes latest phones etc but they cant pay R400 for school fees its crazy, some parents think just like their spoilt kids
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Jul 25, 2012

Mxaueht

So the principal is being running the school with only school fund from 209 pupil (R83600 instead of R374400), yet 100% pass rate is expected at the end of the year. Dependency culture is killing the future of our children. Some parents do not prioritise, they say it is government job to provide education to their children, yet their are staying in RDP house and getting grants every month and spend money on booze and ukuloyana.......................nxn were are getting tired of this nonse, we must do something, I mean really............................
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Jul 25, 2012

Goodest

Bayanxila ke aba abazali.....
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