The Department of Basic Education has warned schools that it’s illegal to charge parents a registration fee.
The department says they’ve been inundated with calls from parents reporting schools around the country.
National Education Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says parents should refuse to pay.
“The department has received a lot of complaints from parents who indicate that schools are engaging in this unlawful practice. This is a warning from the Department of Basic Education to advise schools to refrain from this particular activity as it generates unnecessary tension between parents and schools. It creates a lot of pressure from parents as they think they need to pay monies for their children to be admitted when in fact this is not true,” says Mhlanga.
Discussion on the future of education when schools reopen with Philip von Ziegler
Education experts say that the delay is likely to have a significant impact on South African students, along with lost teaching time in 2020.
The video below is of the announcement on the opening of schools for 2021:
