Eastern Cape school kept results from matriculant because she owed the school money

Onele Klaas and her mother Nothabile finally got Onele’s matric results after six months of waiting.

• The principal of a high school in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape refused to release the matric results of Onele Klaas because the family had not paid school charges.
• After GroundUp contacted the Eastern Cape education department for comment, the school released the results, but only once the learner’s uncle had signed an acknowledgement of debt.
• The department says no-fee schools are not allowed to charge any fees, though parents do often agree to make “donations”.
• Onele’s mother said she paid what she could, but on an income of R500 a month she could not afford to pay what the school demanded.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education has apologised to a former grade 12 learner, after her school principal refused to release her matric results because of unpaid school charges.

Onele Klaas, 20, from Sijula village in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, wrote her matric exams last year. The former Ncucuzo High School learner owes the school R2,600.

Ncucuzo is a no-fee school, but parents pay R600 per learner as a “donation”. Grade 12 learners live at the school during their matric year and parents are expected to pay R500 a month for their board and lodging.

Onele’s mother, Nothabile Klaas, said she owed four months of the board and lodging charges and the R600. She said she managed to pay for some months but missed others.

Klaas is unemployed and relies on R500 a month from her late husband’s pension, and on occasional jobs in the village.

She said she tried to explain her situation to the school principal but she was told that it was the parents’ decision that academic results would not be given to learners who failed to pay.

“There was nothing I could do other than come back home and try to raise the money. Unfortunately piece jobs are very scarce and I’m always sick because of the stress. Even the little money I get from these piece jobs is not even enough to put food on the table,” said Klaas.

When GroundUp visited the Klaas family last week, we found Klaas, Onele and Onele’s 14-year-old sister waiting for us in a broken-down prefab shelter.

Onele said the family were living in the shelter while the owners were away. Their own home was destroyed by rain, in 2018. They moved to a temporary shelter which was also destroyed by wind. Currently they live in this one-room house, while the owners are away in the city. But when the owners return they will have to find another place to live.

There are six children. Onele is the second youngest. “After my husband died, I tried to apply for his pension funds with no luck,” said Klaas. “I was advised by someone to involve lawyers and I did. I had to borrow money from the loan sharks with 50% interest going to Bisho trying to get my husband’s pension,” said Klaas.

She said she had received R49,000 in a lump sum from the pension fund. “I used the money to pay the debts. Then with the change, I managed to buy 1,000 bricks and a bed,” she said. The bricks are packed in an open space in front of their temporary home.

Onele’s younger sister, who is in grade 8 at the same school, was wearing Onele’s old school uniform – shoes, shirt, skirt and jersey – from five years ago.

Onele Klaas’s younger sister wears Onele’s old school uniform because the family cannot afford a new one.

“We are really struggling,” said Klaas. “Besides Onele’s debt, her sister also owes the school R300 for the school fees. She does not have a uniform, her shoes are very old. They won’t last the next month because she walks to the school,”

Onele said without her matric results she had not been able to get a job. She said in January at the Boxer store they wanted to hire her but needed her matric results.

“ My life is a mess right now, I thought having a matric will help me assist my mother and be able to bring some money home. This year I wanted to work to raise money so I can go to university next year but I’m stuck here at the village doing nothing,” she said.

Community member Nosipho Mkoko said she had visited the school after Klaas asked her to help. But she said the school principal was not willing to listen to her.

Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said what had happened to Onele was against the law.

Mtima said no-fee schools were not allowed to ask for money from parents. “What the school did is a criminal offence,” said Mtima. He said the department apologised to Onele.

After GroundUp had sent questions to Mtima, Onele’s uncle Maninizi Klaas said, an official from the department had called him to the school. He said when he arrived at the school, the official and the school principal had discussed Onele’s debt.

Maninzi, who is a pensioner, said he had explained the family’s situation but the school principal had said he would only release the results if Maninzi signed a document stating that Klaas would pay R200 a month to cover the debt. He said he had to sign.

“I only pray that Onele finds a job so that this debt won’t fall on her younger sister,” he said.

Mtima said he was not aware that Maninzi had been asked to sign a letter, and the department would investigate.

He said learners can contact the department’s toll free on 080 1212 570 or WhatsApp 078 660 1314 if a school refuses to release the academic results.

School principal Siya Jonase declined to speak to GroundUp.

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