Parents fork out fortunes for matric farewells

MATRIC farewells have turned into fund-raising initiatives by schools, placing a heavy financial burden on cash-strapped parents, who now have to fork out thousands of rand to make this a memorable event for their children.

Vee Gani, chairperson of the Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal, said they had received numerous complaints from parents about the expensive “participating fee” for matric farewells.

“But the problem is that schools have to use every trick in the book to raise funds. They are battling with utility bills, among other costs. Also, the recovery rate for school fees is less than 60% at every school in Chatsworth or Phoenix. Schools then have to look at other ways to mitigate the expenses.”

He said matric farewells were an opportunity for schools to raise urgently-needed funds.

“Schools are battling to stay afloat financially. The majority of the parents don’t care. Schools have limited resources, so they use these events to raise funds. However, they should not compel pupils to enter or have a mandatory entry fee. Where are the averageearning parents going to get that kind of money from?

“They should instead use the event to sell tickets to people to attend and then too, make it affordable, in a bid to sell more tickets. Schools could also look for sponsors to mitigate the expenses of special events for pupils,” he said.

Gani said that years ago, schools could afford to pay for farewells and matric dances, but not anymore.

“Today, schools need funds for their mere existence. In areas like Chatsworth, Phoenix, Merebank and Reservoir Hills, even if the poverty-stricken families were exempt from fees, schools could still function optimally.

“But it has become a trend where some parents, who can afford the fees, do not take responsibility by paying them. This has forced schools to look at fund-raising initiatives to compensate for such shortfalls. But with a tough economy, how sustainable is this?”

Parents go the extra mile to make dreams come true.

Ashika Morris recently sent out calls for financial help on social media so she could send her son to his matric farewell. His school in Newlands East had sent home a circular asking parents to pay R500 for each child to attend the event.

Morris said she had been retrenched during Covid-19 and her husband was the breadwinner, and the R500 was out of their reach.

“We have to worry about school fees, the different fund-raisers the schools host, and now another cost for the matric farewell. We still have to get him an outfit and arrange transport. We simply cannot afford it. It breaks my heart that I might have to ask him to miss this last milestone event in his school life.

“Although he told me that it was

SIANNE Padachy with her parents, Renae Patel and Shaan Padaychy.

okay if we could not afford to send him, I saw the disappointment in his eyes. I then started asking people for help. With the cost of living, we are struggling to make ends meet. Knowing I could not find the money to fulfil my son’s wish, has left me heartbroken. This pushed me to ask for help,” she said.

Nevisha Mahabeer said her daughter Kira attended her matric prom at Greytown High School last month, thanks to the support of her family.

“Kira is our child and the only grandchild and niece in the family, so she was spoiled by everyone. She had to pay R750 to participate,” said Mahabeer.

She said they splurged on her farewell with only one restriction: She was forbidden from wearing a short dress.

“We hired two BMWs at a cost of R3 000 and the spinner came in at R1 000. She also wanted a drone to capture footage of the event. We paid R100 per hour for two hours for the hire of the drone, R500 for a photo shoot, and travelled to Durban twice to buy her dress, which was R2 000. Her shoes were R300 and the jewellery was bought online for R300. With her make-up and hairdo costing R1 000, we spent about R10 000 on her matric dance,” Mahabeer said.

Kira’s mother’s siblings pitched in and paid for each item on the matric dance wish list.

“She lost her dad when she was one year old and we dote on her. We chose to make the day special for her because she had so many losses. I always feel that

you should not feel bad about asking your family to help with such events in a child’s life. And if you have the funds, do what you can but don’t put yourself in expense. Kira will donate all her things to a child in need. We believe in Seva (giving) and teach her the same values,” Mahabeer said.

Renae Patel and her ex-husband, Shaan Padaychy, of Lenasia, joined forces to give their daughter a special matric dance that she would always remember.

Sianne Padaychy, 17, is a pupil at Lenasia Secondary School, which did not charge a participation fee.

“It was a beautiful experience seeing my little girl not so little anymore. I didn’t complete my matric when I was a teenager, and only completed it this year. I did not get to go to my matric dance. I lived my dream through my daughter. Initially she didn’t want to participate because her friends were not going. But once she got to the dress fitting, she was hyped. It was an emotional experience.

“My 7-year-old son passed on in 2017, and Sianne’s light had been dimmed since then, as they were close.

“It was good to see that the dance brought some light into her life again. Seeing her happy after so long melted my heart. I had been saving since February for whatever she needed. Her dress cost R2 500 and her shoes were R700.

“We bought her jewellery from Shein for R400. We hired a Nissan Skyline for R2 000 from a friend. On the night before the dance, we had dinner for her at home with her friends and family.

“I advise parents to save for their children’s matric dance as they feel special and appreciated. The last event of

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