Schools in KwaZulu-Natal that are battling to make ends meet because of rapidly-changing pupil dynamics could be thrown a lifeline.
|||Durban - Schools in KwaZulu-Natal that are battling to make ends meet because of rapidly-changing pupil dynamics could be thrown a lifeline by being reclassified as non-fee paying institutions.
Education MEC Senzo Mchunu acknowledged yesterday that schools in areas such as Wentworth, Chatsworth, Phoenix, Tongaat and Verulam were now drawing almost 90 percent of their pupils from surrounding townships and informal settlements.
He said the assumption that they could afford fees needed to be urgently reviewed.
“Most of the schools in Chatsworth and Phoenix have been ranked quintile two. Yet only 10 percent of the pupils come from the area. (The) majority come from the informal settlements,” he said.
“This has impacted in respect of schools not being able to afford basic things like security and being excluded from the province’s feeding scheme.”
The KZN Department of Education had recently dropped the national quintile ranking that determines the level of state funding for schools.
According to the old system, schools were ranked from quintile one (poorest areas) to quintile five (affluent areas), with most of the funding directed to lower quintile schools with the least resources and infrastructure.
Since April, the department has recognised just two categories: fee-paying and non-fee-paying schools.
Mchunu said preliminary investigations had revealed that the majority of the pupils at former Indian and coloured schools came from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Plans were being put in place to ensure those pupils were not prejudiced further, he said.
“We are prioritising meals for these pupils and making sure they are not forced to pay school fees. They will be exempted while the quintile ratings are reviewed.”
A lack of security at schools in KZN was also a concern, said Mchunu, who was speaking at Brooklyn Heights Primary, in Chatsworth, on Tuesday, three days after robbers opened fire on teachers and pupils.
No-one was injured but teachers and pupils were left traumatised.
The education department only paid for security guards at half of the 6 000 schools in KZN.
“The 3 000 schools are the most vulnerable. Unfortunately there is no budget for security at other schools,” Mchunu said.
“R2.5 billion has been budgeted for school buildings in the province. Once these projects have been completed, money will be channelled to improving security.”
He said he would be meeting local police and other community stakeholders, including religious and community leaders, to set up the task team.
“I want them to investigate if there have been other violent attacks in recent months and to assess the crime risks at schools in the area,” Mchunu said, adding that urgent measures needed to be put in place to deter criminals.
The deputy chairman of Chatsworth and Districts Against Crime, Visvin Reddy, said the discriminatory quintile ranking system had forced many schools in the area to cut back on security and grass cutting and they had also fallen into arrears with water and electricity bills.
“The no-fee schools are predominantly in the rural and township areas.
“The department needs to urgently assess the poverty levels at all schools in KZN to ensure pupils were not discriminated against.”
Mchunu said more than 80 percent of schools in KZN were non-fee paying schools.
He said there shouldn’t be any additional cost with the collapse of the quintile system, which was merely confusing for the public.
Fee-paying schools would still receive subsidies from the department, he added.
Additional reporting by Lauren Anthony and Zainul Aberdeen
Daily News