Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade has warned schools against withholding results or report cards, saying this is against the law.
Several schools in the province are holding back results for various reasons, mainly inability to pay school fees and loss of textbooks.
In some instances, schools go as far as blocking transfer certificates.
But it is illegal, according to the South African Schools Act.
The department cautioned school principals that withholding academic reports would not be tolerated.
Reports should be issued upon quality assurance and approval of the schedule by circuit managers.
On Wednesday, Gade took to social media to remind schools about the Act.
“It is mandatory to share learner results,” he said.
“Let us always conduct ourselves with integrity and serve our learners’ best interests.”
Reacting to the post, concerned parents told Gade that schools remained defiant.
A social media user said she was facing a problem, with the results of the child she had sent to school being held back.
The pupil’s parents had died without seeing their wish of the child studying further at tertiary level.
The pupil had lost textbooks, resulting in the decision to withhold the results.
“I gave the pupil money for the school to replace the stolen textbooks, but they refused the money, saying they wanted textbooks instead,” the user wrote.
“There are no bookshops in Ngqeleni and I couldn’t find the textbooks in Mthatha.
“I would appreciate it if you could assist, MEC.
“There is money to buy the textbooks, but I couldn’t find them.”
Parents urged the department to take corrective action against such schools.
“Schools continue to withhold learners’ school results, in violation of Section 41(7) of the South African Schools Act, and the department of education is failing to enforce compliance,” another social media user said.
“Perhaps parliament should amend the Act to provide sanctions for noncompliance.”
SA Democratic Teachers Union provincial secretary Malibongwe Ntame previously said that many schools had been declared no-fee schools by the government.
These included those in quintiles 1, 2 and 3.
Each pupil in these schools receives a R1,600 subsidy from the government.
“If you have a subsidy, why should a child be charged school fees or have their report cards withheld?
“If it is school policy, it is wrong; it does not matter who took the decision.”
In 2023, the high court ordered a private school to furnish a pupil with a report card it had withheld due to outstanding fees.
Polokwane high court acting judge Malose Monene ruled on April 19 that Mitchell House must hand over the report of a 13-year-old pupil to her father within seven days of his ruling.
He made no order on the costs of the application, brought by the teenager’s father against, among others, the school and its principal.
The father had sought an order declaring the school’s refusal to release the report unlawful.
Daily Dispatch
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