Parent happy with school’s resolution of admission policy

SCHOOLS are not permitted to request parents for proof of employment when they apply for admission for their children.

This is according to the Gauteng Department of Education, which has also confirmed that its admission policy/regulations should not discriminate against anyone.

This follows a recent complaint from a parent at Kempton Park Primary School, who said she felt the policy was unfair and discriminatory.

“On Kempton Park Primary School’s application form for enrolment, one of the requirements is proof of employment. Upon enquiring from personnel about the definition of proof of employment, their response was: it’s either the payslip or employment contract,” Mantoa Selepe explained.

The mother said she was also told no child would be accepted without these documents. Being extremely alarmed by this, she escalated the matter to the department of education.

“I felt this policy denied a child access to education, which is a fundamental right and further infringes the right to privacy for the parent. More so, it degrades the human dignity and self-worth of unemployed persons.

“In terms of BCEA 95, it stipulates that the contract of employment is the mutual and confidential agreement between employer and employee. Therefore, payslips are confidential. I strongly believe that payslips may be requested when a parent is in financial need, provided that a child is enrolled already,” Selepe added.

Oupa Bodibe, acting spokesperson for the department, confirmed that only parents who use their work address as the main criterion to apply must submit proof of employment as proof of address.

Those who apply using their home address only need to provide proof of residence.

With regard to parents in need of financial aid, Bodibe explained that the only time the schools required a payslip was when the parent applied for school fees exemption.

“The department remains committed to comply with its constitutional obligation to place all learners of schoolgoing age in public schools. In terms of the admission regulations, learners are placed according to the following set criteria, which requires documents such as identity documents, birth certificates and immunisation cards for Grade One and proof of address to be submitted to all schools for verification,” Bodibe clarified.

The criteria include: school closest to home address, school closest to work address and sibling presence in the same school.

Also, schools’ rules and policies must be aligned to the Gauteng Department of Education’s regulations, Bodibe further noted.

After being escalated to the department, the case was investigated and has since been resolved.

“It must be noted that the department met with the principal and SGB of Kempton Park Primary School to review their admission policy. The resolution was that the school will not ask for a payslip or contract as proof of employment,” Bodibe said.

Selepe says she is satisfied and extremely happy with the way the matter was resolved.

“I want to thank both the principal of Kempton Park Primary and the education department officials who resolved this issue, which was done professionally, peacefully and to my and all parents’ satisfaction at the school. I would like to offer special thanks to Mrs Naidoo (of the department) for her efficiency in following up and escalating the matter.”

She added that her daughter was very happy to be at the school and commended the school principal on the way she operated the school.

“I am a happy parent when my daughter is happy at school.”