Education crisis: how Durban's poorest families are denied school fee exemptions

AT SCHOOLS in Durban, desperate parents are being forced into debt and emotional distress as some schools obstruct access to legally mandated fee concessions.

Community leaders warned this growing crisis undermined education access for the most vulnerable children.

'No child should be denied education because of poverty,' said one advocate fighting for change.

Despite the Department of Education’s provisions to support vulnerable families, parents report being turned away, ignored, or burdened with additional costs that make access to education increasingly difficult.

Premilla Deonath, chairperson of the Merewest Community Foundation, said she was deeply troubled by what she had witnessed in communities including Merebank, Lamontville, Wentworth and Umlazi. 

“I am deeply concerned about the practice of turning children away from schools due to unpaid fees or lack of proper uniforms.

“While I understand schools face financial challenges, it’s unacceptable to penalise vulnerable pupils for circumstances beyond their control,” said Deonath. 

She highlighted the growing list of school requirements, from uniforms and shoes to extensive stationery lists. 

“I have witnessed first-hand the strain this puts on families. It is heartbreaking to see children feel ashamed or excluded because their parents could not meet these expectations,” she added.

Deonath stressed that schools received pupil support funding from the Department of Education once parents completed concession forms, noting that there was no limit placed on how many concessions a school could submit. 

“No child should be denied education because of poverty. Every pupil deserves to start the school year with joy, not fear,” she said.

She called on schools to waiver the unnecessary requirements and prioritise vulnerable pupils.”

Deonath is calling for greater accountability, compassion and oversight within schools.

“We need to do better for our children. Education must be accessible and welcoming for all, especially those pushing against all odds to secure a better future,” she said.

Some parents echoed the same concerns and shared their painful personal experiences. 

A mother from Phoenix said her child’s high school did not offer a fee concession.

Instead parents were forced to pay an upfront registration fee of R1,000 and the rest of the fees in instalments.

“Grade 8 pupils had to pay the full school fees or they were not given a place at the school. The school was unhelpful, and many parents were in the same financial position. We were refused help and forced to beg and borrow the money for the fees,” she said.

The single parent who relies on a child support grant, said she then  resorted to taking out a loan just to enrol her child. 

“Schools say education is every child’s right, but they have made it a costly affair. It is heartbreaking to go into debt just to give my child an education,” she said.

A single mother from Chatsworth shared a similar struggle.

She said her husband had passed on and she was left unemployed and alone to fend for her three children,

“The fees concession was very important for me, but the school was not helpful at all. They refused to issue the forms, even though the department gives schools money for the fees they exempt.” 

She said the lack of cooperation made her feel as though she was asking for something unreasonable. 

“It is sad that getting an education had become such a struggle. No parent should have to go through this. I believe more awareness needs to be created about the fees exemptions so that parents know their rights,” she added.

A widower from Wentworth described the emotional toll of navigating the fees concession process while grieving the loss of his wife. 

“Since my wife passed away, life has felt like a long stretch of uphill days. School fees quickly became one of my biggest worries.”

He explained that repeated applications and follow-ups were met with delays and silence. 

“I found the process of applying for a school fee concession deeply frustrating and disheartening. After my wife’s passing, I was left managing all the responsibilities alone. When I approached the school for help, I was met with little understanding or support. My requests were delayed and my explanations seemed to go unheard. The school's lack of helpfulness only added to the emotional and financial strain I was already carrying,” he said. 

He said when the concession was eventually approved, the relief was immense. 

“I felt a weight lift off my chest, knowing that my twins could continue their education without the constant fear of financial collapse,” he added.

South African education activists and academics warn that thousands of pupils are being unlawfully excluded from classrooms due to their families’ inability to pay school fees.

Professor Wayne Hugo from the University of KwaZulu-Natal said the practice complained of by parents and activists was real, but argued they must be understood within a deeper structural crisis in school funding.

“The pattern activists describe is real and well-documented. Exemption forms are withheld, applications are delayed, parents are told to sign illegal payment agreements, children are excluded despite the law saying they cannot be.”

However, Hugo cautioned against viewing schools as acting out of malice alone. According to him, fee-charging public schools have become structurally dependent on parent fees to meet basic operational costs.

“Fee-charging public schools in South Africa have become structurally dependent on parent fees to cover ordinary operating costs — additional teachers, security, maintenance, learning materials,” he said.

At the same time, economic pressures on families have driven a sharp rise in exemption applications. Hugo estimates that in 2025 alone, fee exemptions at public schools amounted to between R7.4 billion and R10.8 billion nationally, with a further R6 billion lost due to non-payment.

While the law obliges schools to grant exemptions and promises reimbursement from provincial education departments, Hugo said this compensation rarely materialises in full.

“That compensation arrives late, incomplete, or capped far below actual losses. The difference comes straight out of the operating budget,” he said.

According to Hugo, schools facing these shortfalls are left with stark choices: cutting costs to the bone, refusing exemptions, or risking financial collapse.

“When monitoring is weak and consequences are rare, the middle path becomes predictable and understandable in ways activists miss. So forms go missing. Processes stretch for months. Parents are quietly discouraged. This is not an aberration — it is a structural institutional response to a funding model that no longer works.”

The consequences, Hugo stressed, are borne by children. 

“They miss school waiting for approvals. Families pay illegal fees they cannot afford. Poorer communities fall further behind,” he said. “We can be angry at what schools are doing. But we also need to fix the system that makes cruelty rational.”

Education activist Hendrick Makaneta agreed that pupils were paying the price, but placed emphasis squarely on rights violations.

“South Africa’s education system provides for school fee exemptions, but in many communities this right exists only on paper. Parents are often blocked when trying to access concession forms.”

Makaneta said the law was clear that no pupil may be excluded from education because their parents could not pay school fees, yet this principle is routinely ignored.

“Some of the schools prioritise budgets over children’s rights. This type of conduct leads to a situation where learners are excluded. Education is a constitutional right that must be defended against all odds,” said Makaneta.

The POST