Schools Fund

 

The Schools System in South Africa is still extremely polarised with some of the best examples of schooling in the world operating within previous 'Model C' schools whilst the majority of 'Township' schools are in a state of terrible disrepair, with lessons interrupted by rain and wind, have no facilities other than blackboards and desks, and often teach without the relevant textbook!  Readers not associated with the historical South African education system will not be aware that, during apartheid times,  Model C schools were designated for Whites only and therefore were built well, with excellent infrastructure and resources.  The Model C schools were well maintained and built to be easy to maintain with good brick walls, proper land drainage and tiled roofs.  The ex Model C schools remain in excellent state of repair and are now well run, often semi private with parents making small contributions to top up the government allowance.  Meanwhile the Township schools were for 'Black' and 'Coloured' only, were built with poor infrastructure including asbestos roofs, no land drainage and poor sanitation pits.  Once these Township schools were built there was no budget allowed for maintenance and parents had to pay to send their children there.  The current state of disrepair of many of these Township schools (now renamed Quintile Schools) is shocking:  When it rains the classrooms flood from the roof and from the land with no drainage mudslides fill the classroom floors.  Learners lose a day of learning during the rain and a day following the rain while they dig out their classrooms.

 

Quintile 1 schools are the most impoverished and Quintile 5 the least.  Quintile 1 to 3 school Learners are entitled to free school meals.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Initially HABandF assisted with the payment of school fees, which were between R200 and R400 per annum, but in 2003 the Government stepped in, re-categorising disadvantaged schools as non fee paying.    However, learners are not allowed to attend school without the correct uniform, so our support moved to buying uniforms.  In 2022 after the floods we stepped in to replace uniforms for a number of learners who had lost their homes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before the Government introduced a school feeding scheme in 2011 learners often came to school hungry due to real and absolute poverty in their households.  All Learners should now receive at least one nutritious meal per school day, but the Schools Fund still assists with food parcels in extreme cases.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rosie has been running the Schools Fund since 2003.  She is now assisted by her granddaughter Caitlyn.  
 

 

×