1 300 schools considered for free education

KwaZulu-Natal education authorities have identified 1 300 schools in the province that will be considered for free education. This follows announcements by Ina Cronje, the MEC for education in the province, that 20% of the over 6 000 schools in the province will soon be declared no-fee schools.

These are mainly schools where communities are living under poverty-stricken conditions. KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have already identified institutions which will be declared no-fee schools as agreed by the Council of Education Ministers in 2005.

Christie Naude, the provincial department spokesperson, says the department has sent letters to the qualifying schools and they will in turn have to write back to the department to say if they want to be included in the no fee schools status. Naude says once the schools have been approved pupils will not pay school fees at those institutions.

The school governing bodies have been given until the end of this month to let the department know if they want to be declared no fee schools which will be forwarded to the national education ministry for approval.