Some principals at former Model C schools are being bullied by district officials to accept more pupils with warnings about their jobs being on the line‚ according to the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas).
At the same time‚ experts and parents warn that if too many non-fee paying pupils are pushed into functional schools‚ wealthy parents who subsidise the underprivileged pupils will leave government schools‚ ultimately leaving less money to keep schools working.
Many Model C schools that TMG Digital spoke to have at least 20% of pupils who do not pay fees and are subsidised by other parents‚ enabling the children to get free‚ good quality education.
But governing bodies warn that “a tipping point” could be reached if fees become too high and the wealthy choose to move into private schools‚ which would reduce the cross-subsidy for poorer students and the money the schools needs for maintenance.
Fedsas Gauteng representative Dr Jean van Rooyen said he knew of five Gauteng principals who had been told by department of education officials they must increase class sizes and were threatened that: “You work for us‚ not your governing bodies.”
He said the way principals were spoken to amounted to bullying and unfair labour practice but would not give their names for fear of intimidation.
Three court rulings on school admissions have given the government the final say over school capacity but require officials to work with parents in a “spirit of cooperative governance”.
One governing member from a northern Johannesburg school said typically children who did not yet have schools by January usually were ones whose parents couldn’t pay.
The school was expecting to be asked to take a full extra class of Grade 8s in the next week‚ which it would make provision for‚ said the parent.
It already had 17% of students who didn’t pay fees and had budgeted R6 million that would be written off in unpaid fees. Of this (the amount for unpaid fees)‚ the department repays it about 1%.
Another former Model C school said 27% of its pupils were unable to pay fees. The other parents subsidised their fees and often donated towards school trips and food for the underprivileged pupils.
Former Model C schools typically get the lowest subsidies per pupil from the department of education and pay their own water and electricity bills‚ maintenance costs and insurance bills employ extra teachers to make class sizes manageable and buy extra textbooks.
The official said: “There is a tipping point that must be considered by schools like ours: if a large percentage of non-fee paying parents exist at a school‚ they have to be cross-subsidised by the fee-paying parents if the school wants to maintain its standards. But if fees keep rising‚ fewer parents will be able to afford higher school fees‚ which will negatively impact the school’s ability to employ extra teachers‚ maintain facilities and offer the range of extra-curricular activities. In other words‚ the pupils are the ones who will ultimately lose out.”
Former principal of a Model C school‚ Anthea Ceresto‚ said good government schools “have to have a balance between fee paying and non-fee paying parents and a balance that is workable and sustainable“.
If parents start subsidising too many pupils‚ the fees increase and parents realise that reputable private schools are not much more expensive and they pull their child out of the school.
If they quit the system‚ that is not going to help.
If you push it too far‚ the flight of middle class into private schools will end up with Model C schools being no fee schools‚ she warned.
“Parents pay for these magnificent facilities. They are paying for services including water‚ electricity‚ insurance and extra teachers to make class sizes manageable. Parents expect something for their money.”
Already she knew of former model C schools that had closed their pools or sports facilities or were in state of disrepair because they cannot afford to maintain them.
“The disrepair of these schools also degrades a state asset‚” she said.
TMG Digital/The Times
Former Model C schools being ‘bullied’ to accept more pupils
Some principals at former Model C schools are being bullied by district officials to accept more pupils with warnings about their jobs being on the line‚ according to the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas).
At the same time‚ experts and parents warn that if too many non-fee paying pupils are pushed into functional schools‚ wealthy parents who subsidise the underprivileged pupils will leave government schools‚ ultimately leaving less money to keep schools working.
Many Model C schools that TMG Digital spoke to have at least 20% of pupils who do not pay fees and are subsidised by other parents‚ enabling the children to get free‚ good quality education.
But governing bodies warn that “a tipping point” could be reached if fees become too high and the wealthy choose to move into private schools‚ which would reduce the cross-subsidy for poorer students and the money the schools needs for maintenance.
Fedsas Gauteng representative Dr Jean van Rooyen said he knew of five Gauteng principals who had been told by department of education officials they must increase class sizes and were threatened that: “You work for us‚ not your governing bodies.”
He said the way principals were spoken to amounted to bullying and unfair labour practice but would not give their names for fear of intimidation.
Three court rulings on school admissions have given the government the final say over school capacity but require officials to work with parents in a “spirit of cooperative governance”.
One governing member from a northern Johannesburg school said typically children who did not yet have schools by January usually were ones whose parents couldn’t pay.
The school was expecting to be asked to take a full extra class of Grade 8s in the next week‚ which it would make provision for‚ said the parent.
It already had 17% of students who didn’t pay fees and had budgeted R6 million that would be written off in unpaid fees. Of this (the amount for unpaid fees)‚ the department repays it about 1%.
Another former Model C school said 27% of its pupils were unable to pay fees. The other parents subsidised their fees and often donated towards school trips and food for the underprivileged pupils.
Former Model C schools typically get the lowest subsidies per pupil from the department of education and pay their own water and electricity bills‚ maintenance costs and insurance bills employ extra teachers to make class sizes manageable and buy extra textbooks.
The official said: “There is a tipping point that must be considered by schools like ours: if a large percentage of non-fee paying parents exist at a school‚ they have to be cross-subsidised by the fee-paying parents if the school wants to maintain its standards. But if fees keep rising‚ fewer parents will be able to afford higher school fees‚ which will negatively impact the school’s ability to employ extra teachers‚ maintain facilities and offer the range of extra-curricular activities. In other words‚ the pupils are the ones who will ultimately lose out.”
Former principal of a Model C school‚ Anthea Ceresto‚ said good government schools “have to have a balance between fee paying and non-fee paying parents and a balance that is workable and sustainable“.
If parents start subsidising too many pupils‚ the fees increase and parents realise that reputable private schools are not much more expensive and they pull their child out of the school.
If they quit the system‚ that is not going to help.
If you push it too far‚ the flight of middle class into private schools will end up with Model C schools being no fee schools‚ she warned.
“Parents pay for these magnificent facilities. They are paying for services including water‚ electricity‚ insurance and extra teachers to make class sizes manageable. Parents expect something for their money.”
Already she knew of former model C schools that had closed their pools or sports facilities or were in state of disrepair because they cannot afford to maintain them.
“The disrepair of these schools also degrades a state asset‚” she said.
TMG Digital/The Times
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