Free schooling for poorest pupils
20 June 2003
Education Minister Kader Asmal announced steps towards abolishing compulsory school fees this week, in line with his plan to increase access to free, quality education for all children.
The plan was developed following a comprehensive study of the financing, resourcing and cost of education in public schools, described by Asmal as a comprehensive, detailed exercise "highlighting practices within the education system and society that increased the cost of education and led to the marginalisation of learners in public schools".
The Cabinet which accepted Asmal's Action Plan in principle last week.
Addressing a press conference in Cape Town, Asmal said proper implementation of the Action Plan would result in greater inter-provincial equity, so that learners with similar levels of poverty would receive the same minimum level of school funding.
Asmal said this would also result in the abolition of compulsory school fees for 40 percent
of learners in the poorest schools, with government forking out a minimum basic package of R450 per poor learner - double the current levels of funding - starting with the poorest 20 percent of learners.
This would be mainly for school-based expenditure on textbooks, stationery, water, electricity, maintenance and teaching equipment.
Asmal said schools that were less poor would continue to charge fees in order to fund their perceived quality choices.
"Government is confident that these schools will implement both the letter and spirit of the law. It is hoped that this will strengthen our goal of a democratic, united and non-racial public school system, where those who wish to supplement the minimum package provided by government are able to do so with their own funds."
Asmal said this would strengthen the exemption processes in less poor schools, as well as the granting of automatic fee exemptions to learners who qualified for certain social service grants
and payments.
Cabinet said last week that systems would be put in place during the next financial year to phase in the Action Plan, starting with 20 percent of learners in the poorest schools in the country.
Source: BuaNews
| 
