WITH the new school year kicking off next week, parents on the Cape Flats are sukkelling to pay for duur stationery and uniforms.
Apart from school fees, skoolbrood and transport to worry about, schools are requesting extras like toilet paper, hand sanitiser and black bin bags.
For unemployed single mother Faith, who is dependent on their Sassa grant, things are even tougher as she claims her children’s school hasn’t even handed out a list for their goeters yet.
Faith explains: “What upsets me is that my children did not even get their stationery list with their report last year, apparently they are getting it now when schools open.
“I don’t understand why the schools are doing that because the Sassa is finished and now we need to wait till the next payment, next month.
“I could’ve bought their stationery in December or now in January and it’s expensive.”
Another single mother, Aziza, said that she does odd jobs because the children’s Sassa grant is not enough.
She adds: “It is tough as a single parent and the schools don’t make it easy.
“My son is starting high school and the uniform alone is expensive, I haven’t even bought stationery yet.
“I have two more children who are still in Primary School and need things like paper, soap, hand sanitiser, wet wipes so it is equally expensive.”
But Elsies River community leader Steve Ross has called on communities to span saam and help each other.
He says that struggling parents have reached out to him asking for help to get the children ready when schools open on 15 January as they cannot afford school supplies.
Steve explains: “My heart bleeds as I requested some help, especially those children who are struggling with stationery in primary school and even high school.
“I mean toilet paper, boxes and reams of photocopy paper for primary school, refuse bags.
“These parents are asking us and others constantly for something to eat and to put something on the table for their children.
“Now they must go out and make loans just to get the child in school and that is except the school uniform.”
In an attempt to help, Steve opened a community Whatsapp group where the mense can help each other out with second-hand school items.
The group has been buzzing with messages of those who are either selling or donating school uniforms to those who are in need.
Meanwhile, Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson for provincial education MEC David Maynier says parents of no-fees schools can make arrangements with their administration.
She says: “No-fee schools receive norms and standards funding to provide stationery to their learners.
“Schools may request that parents contribute to their children’s stationery list, but at no-fee schools this must be voluntary.”
“There may be circumstances where parents find it difficult to afford a uniform, and we encourage parents to discuss this issue with the school so that an agreement can be reached to accommodate the needs of the child.”