Disciplinary action will be taken against school principals who withhold end-of-year reports, Western Cape education minister Cameron Dugmore vowed on Wednesday.
He said his office has been receiving calls from anxious parents saying some principals are refusing to hand out reports because the parents have not paid some or all of their school fees.
Community members and parents claim that at one school the principal lined up his pupils, singled out the ones whose fees had not been paid, and told them they will not receive their reports.
”This is obviously an incredibly humiliating and demeaning experience for any learner,” Dugmore said.
Withholding reports or assessments has been specifically outlawed in a circular sent to schools in August this year. It is contrary to national education policy and provincial legislation.
”Disciplinary steps are going to be taken against principals,” he said.
He noted, however, that Wednesday is the last day on which principals and staff are supposed to be at school before the end-of-year break.
Parents who have still not received reports should contact his office, which will forward those details to local education management directors, who will in turn contact the principals and make sure ”as far as possible” that the aggrieved parents receive the reports.
His office number is 021 467 2523, or e-mail [email protected].
Dugmore said withholding of reports was a problem in previous years, but as far as he knows, nothing was done to act against principals.
Acting education department head Brian Schreuder said though the department has sympathy with schools’ difficulties in collecting fees, this is no justification for withholding reports. — Sapa