Scores of parents have been complaining about their children’s end of year report cards being withheld because they have failed to pay school fees.
Parents at three Athlone schools - Ned Doman High, St. Raphael’s Primary and Spes Bona High - say when they went to collect the reports on Wednesday, the last day of school, they were told they can’t get them.
A single mother from Gugulethu says her son was also denied his report.
“My son was in Grade 8 this year and went to school to fetch his report and a teacher told him he was not on the list.
“He did not understand and he was told I had to come to school myself to negotiate payment for his school fees to be paid in full.
“If the fees are not paid he cannot receive his report.
“2019 has been a very bad year for me and some personal situations made me not square up his school fees.”
But Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, says schools cannot withhold reports.
'CALLS': Bronagh
“The WCED has received a number of calls from parents who are claiming that schools are withholding report cards.
“Schools cannot withhold a report card due to non-payment of school fees.
“However, schools can request that parents
collect the report card from the principal or school management.
“This gives them the opportunity to discuss outstanding school fees and possible payment arrangements.
“In some cases, schools want to discuss the return of textbooks, or even raise concerns regarding the learner’s academic record the past year,” Hammond says.