Angry parents retaliate against credential checks

WESTERFORD High School’s financial background checks on people applying for fee exemption are causing an uproar among poor parents.

A letter sent by a school governing board member to a parent stated fee exemptions were granted after interviewing applicants and interrogating their bank and credit card details.

These requirements are not listed in the 2006 Government Gazette exemption fee regulations policy.

The letter said despite parents qualifying for an exemption based on their income, a “lifestyle audit” may prove otherwise. It said the SGB member’s income statement would prove that their child qualified, but they’d chosen not to apply.

The applicant, who chose to remain anonymous, said it’s shocking that the SGB violates regulations, as parents who need an exemption may have been asked to abandon their application.

“I could not believe what the SGB member wrote. It’s clear this guy has not read through the set of regulations that contain, in detail, the process that should be followed when processing applications for exemption.

“These are tactics used to intimidate parents and force them to part with more that they can afford. I am concerned about the tens, or even hundreds, of parents who are not aware of their rights and intimidated by the SGB member’s approach.”

SGB chairperson Lynette Zimbler said she was aware the process has been questioned and said the school did not ask for any information not needed to complete the exemption procedure.

“The complaints are spurious and unfounded. We ask for bank statements, including credit cards. The school invites parents to disclose as much information necessary to increase their exemption or not.”

Western Cape Education Department communication spokesperson Millicent Merton said the school had been notified that regulations relating to exemption did not make provision for the requests mentioned.