Pretoria - With parents set to start gearing up for the new academic year as schools are due to reopen in less than two weeks, some parents will be looking to fork out over R60 000 for children’s fees this year.
Currently, at the top of the leader board of the most expensive public schools in the country is Tshwane’s Pretoria Boys High, which published its rate for 2022 with a 9.81% increase.
As a result, the fees for a Grade 12 learner attending Pretoria Boys High now will cost parents roughly R63 800.
Boys High takes over from Rondebosch Boys High School, which was last year’s most expensive state school, which should fall into second place if it increases its fees by an average of 5% as well.
In the meantime, however, of the schools that have announced their rates for the new year, second place has been taken up by Johannesburg-based King Edward VII school, which will set parents back R61 300 as their rates increased by 6%.
Another Tshwane school that made it on the list of most expensive public schools at R49 800 following a 3% increase is Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, a public Afrikaans-medium high school for boys situated in Elandspoort.
Even though not all public schools have published their rates for the 2022 academic year, with nominal increases from last year, reports speculated there would likely be at least five that cost between R61 000 and R65 000.
According to the South African Constitution, all children have the right to basic education, with that education being either free or affordable.
However, the parents of learners at quintile four and five schools are allowed to set these fees at a general meeting, where most parents must agree to the increases, taking into account the school budget, trend in payment of fees and exemptions which had to be granted.
The Schools Act also allows for certain schools in more affluent areas to raise their own funds, while government fully subsidises learners in poorer areas, according to Section 27’s Basic Education Rights Handbook.
As a result, learners who aren’t able to pay school fees at partially subsidised schools can apply for full, partial or conditional exemptions from the payment of school fees, and in some instances, the schools in wealthier suburbs will consider a fee exemption upon full disclosure of financials.
Pretoria News