‘Learners must never be punished’: Basic Education Committee slams withholding of learners’ report cards

Parliament has raised serious concerns over reports that some schools and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are unlawfully withholding learners’ academic report cards and placing financial pressure on parents at no-fee schools.

The Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Ms Joy Maimela, on Friday said the committee had received complaints that learners’ report cards were being withheld because parents could not participate in fundraising activities due to financial hardship.

“A learner’s academic progress and access to report cards can and must never be used as leverage to compel parents to contribute financially or participate in fundraising activities,” Maimela said.

She also noted growing complaints and social media reports indicating that parents at no-fee schools were being required to purchase stationery, a practice she described as unlawful and a direct violation of learners’ constitutional right to basic education.

“Government makes provision for learner teacher support material (LTSM), including stationery, at no-fee paying schools. SGBs or school managements can therefore not implement new measures that are in conflict with legislation, regulations and policies,” she said.

Maimela stressed that participation in fundraising initiatives at schools is voluntary and that learners must not be punished or discriminated against because of their parents’ socio-economic circumstances.

“Penalising learners for the socio-economic circumstances of their parents is unjust, unethical and contrary to the aim and principles of equity and inclusivity that underpin South Africa’s education system,” she said.

She warned that pressuring parents at no-fee schools to incur costs undermines the very purpose of the policy.

“Parents who have enrolled their children in no-fee schools should not be pressured, directly or indirectly, to incur costs that the law explicitly seeks to prevent. Such actions defeat the very purpose of the no-fee school policy,” Maimela added.

The committee has called on provincial education departments to urgently intervene where such practices are reported and to ensure that school management teams and SGBs fully understand their legal obligations.

It said it would continue to exercise oversight to ensure compliance with the South African Schools Act, the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and relevant departmental policies.

Parents and guardians experiencing these challenges have been urged to report them to their provincial education departments and to escalate the matter where necessary.

In a further concern, the committee flagged reports of delays in the delivery of learner teacher support material to no-fee schools in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of the start of the academic year next week.

“The failure to deliver textbooks and stationery timeously undermines teaching and learning and disadvantages learners, particularly those in under-resourced and no-fee schools,” Maimela said.

She noted that in other provinces, learners have already received LTSM or are scheduled to collect it at the start of the school term. “Learners cannot be expected to perform or keep up with the curriculum when essential learning materials are not available,” she said.

The committee expressed particular concern that some schools are being forced to improvise or place pressure on parents to provide materials, despite clear policy provisions assigning this responsibility to the state.

“We call on the KZN Department of Education to urgently account for the delays, provide clear timelines for delivery, and implement corrective measures to prevent further disruptions,” Maimela said.

The committee reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of learners and ensuring that access to education is not compromised by unlawful or exclusionary practices.

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