The Mpumalanga Department of Education (DoE) said in a statement today, January 10, it has noted with concern reports that schools are forcing parents to buy extra stationery to top up on the departmentally issued learning and teaching support packs.

It is still unclear at this stage which schools are forcing parents to do this.

According to the department’s spokesperson Jasper Zwane, the stationery allocated to schools is within the nationally prescribed norms and standards as set by the Department of Basic Education. “It is ample to cater for all subjects offered in our no-fee schools in the province. This is done so that there will be no need to augment it. To this end, all no-fee schools’ principals are advised to utilise the departmentally allocated stationery.”

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Zwane said there must be no instance in which undue pressure, financially or otherwise, is put on parents and learners to buy extra stationery material.

“The schools are henceforth advised not to punish or disadvantage parents and learners in this regard, but to co-operate with the contents of this circular. The principals must make it their obligation to ensure that the stationery is given to all learners.

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“This means that at no stage must stationery be withheld from learners.”

This is a developing story and will be kept updated.