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School subsidy plan criticised
09/11/2006 16:25 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Subsidising advantaged schools for enrolling non-fee paying learners would further encourage a two tier education system and further entrench class divisions, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said on Thursday.
Minister of Education Naledi Pandor announced that her department would be developing a framework according to which advantaged schools would be subsidised for enrolling non-fee paying learners.
This followed the department's efforts to ensure that poor learners would be able to secure individual fee exemption and have access to any public schools.
"While Sadtu fully supports the department of education's efforts to ensure that learners have access to public schools... we are however very concerned by the minister's announcement that a framework be developed according to which advantaged schools would be subsidised for enrolling non-fee paying learners," said Sadtu spokesperson Jon Lewis.
"We cannot be giving additional resources to the richest schools especially when report after report is warning us of the crisis in rural schools. If the department has extra resources to dispense, surely this should be a priority," said Lewis.
Sadtu said that the department had lost sight of the freedom charter's ultimate goal of ensuring free and public education.
"For the majority, education is neither free, nor equal. In fact the user fee system is encouraging a two-tier education system which is dividing the people along class lines.
"The minister's proposal to increase the subsidy to advantaged schools will just further entrench this division," said Lewis.
- SAPA
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