The affordability of school fees has been raised as a concern amid a rising cost of living crisis in the country.

Riaan van der Bergh, of the Federation of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) for South African Schools, acknowledged the challenges fee-paying schools faced.

“The school economy is under pressure, and there is concern about the affordability of fees,” he said.

He noted that school fees had generally risen by 5% to 8%, but some schools reported higher increases due to rising operational costs, such as municipal fees and staff salaries.

Van der Bergh added that recovering school fees had become more difficult.

“We have seen a steady increase in bad debts and exemptions, particularly after the pandemic. Schools from all fee-paying sectors reported pressure on school fee recovery in 2024,” he said.

Professor Irrshad Kaseeram, an economist at the University of Zululand, highlighted the financial strain on households.

“South African household debt as a percentage of income is close to 64%, and debt is rising faster than disposable income,” he said.

He noted that persistent food price inflation, though slightly improving, remained a burden on household budgets.

“Rising school fees will serve as an added burden to most householders.”

Kaseeram emphasised the need for education reforms in underperforming schools.

“Despite the government spending about 21% of its budget on education, South Africa remains below international levels in learning outcomes for reading, mathematics, and science,” he said.

He suggested that corporate social responsibility initiatives and international aid could help improve resources and reduce the financial pressure on parents.

Professor Bonke Dumisa, an independent economic analyst, said families, especially low-income households needed to look at their budgets.

“Most public schools in low-income areas are no-fee schools,” he said.

He explained the reasons behind rising costs in schools that charge high school fees. “The costs are directly related to the need to pay additional teachers hired by school governing bodies and to procure resources for smaller, more effective classes,” he said.

Dumisa noted that education costs in these schools often increased faster than inflation, with parents willingly paying higher fees to secure better opportunities for their children.

Parent Ntombizodwa Mazibuko said the increase in school fees had affected her household budget.

“The fees increase but our salaries remained the same. We had to cut down on a lot of things that we actually need in the household so that we can cover the fees. My daughter’s fees increased by R1 000.”

She said she does not entirely believe the education her child receives is justified by the amount she pays.

“As much as the education my daughter receives is very good, the price is extremely high. I believe they increased the fees to increase the salaries of their employees, and not to improve the education our children receive.

“If fees keep increasing, I may not be able to afford to keep my daughter at this school,” she said.

Matakanye Matakanye, of the National Association for School Governing Bodies, said fee increases are decided by parents at their annual general meetings. “It is their decision, nobody else’s,” he said, adding that increases depend on the projects schools plan for the year.

THE MERCURY