Parent accuses Department of Education for dragging its feet in helping her
Kumalo says every time she goes to the district office, she is told they will call her back, but they never do.
Pamela Kumalo is at her wits’ end as she says the Department of Education Gauteng East District Office is refusing to help her.
Kumalo says her two children are funded by the Truth and Reconciliation bursary, and one of its conditions is that the children be placed in public schools.
“The district office placed the children in an independent school last year and the bursary warned me to put them in a public school next year as they would not pay otherwise.
“When I went around to all the public schools, I was told they were full.
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“After I reported this to the bursary, they told me to go to the district office and ask them to place my children in a public school as they have the power to do that.
“Since last year, I have been asking them to help me, but my pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” says Kumalo.
Kumalo says every time she goes to the district office, she is told they will call her back, but they never do.
The mother says she is now stuck in a situation where her children have not received their school reports this year because of outstanding fees.
She also says she is struggling with the costs of everything as the bursary covers the children’s school fees, uniform and transport costs.
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All that has now fallen on her shoulders and she says she cannot afford it.
“All I’m asking for is for them to put my children in a public school in Springs.
“We all live here in town so it would be easy for the district to put both of them in one school,” says Kumalo.
The Department of Education failed to respond in time for publication.
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