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7
+( world is an unfair place and at least the unfair share has been given to everyone ± enough for everyone to agree to this notion to some degree. While the world is unfair, it is more unfair towards the minority that has no one to speak for them. $nd in the case that the world is unMust to the minority, then questions must be asked and someone should be held accountable. Where someone needs to take accountability, the question is who is responsible? In this case, is it social welfare or is it public schools?
In a poverty stricken country like (swatini, free education has brought a beacon of light in the world of the many families and the maMority of ema6wati who cannot afford to take their children to school in an attempt to give them a better life and yet the very same means have come to a slow crumble without anyone to say as much as a word about this sinking ship.
The darkness that stays in the discomfort of already poverty stricken families, a companion stealing away the brittles of hope that is already a dying lamp has become further and further away from being saved.
The same children and families who are meant to be beneficiaries of free education are barely benefitting for many reasons. First because of the social work department¶s inability to be concise with the public, in what they do and to help the public understand the dynamics and structural benefits of free education in accordance to the different aspects of benefitting from it. This arises from the fact that while some families get full benefits from free education and only have to cater for uniforms and the wellbeing of the children as far as coming to school, others are told that they have to top-up, a certain amount and that government does not give free education entirely in public schools.
Then the same struggling parents have to top-up money they already cannot afford and uniforms on top of that. What is the truth? Is free education a myth or does it exist?
Categorised
Is it categorised on the basis of the child¶s standing as being raised by a single parent, a low income earner, family or being an O9& Orphaned and 9ulnerable &hild does this change the dynamics of how much educational assistance the child is entitled to? If that is the case then why is it that a maMority of parents are unaware of this and why is it that adequate information is not made easily available and accessible for families that require free education?
Why should this only be a surprise when public schools suddenly require them to pay more for school fees when they are already under the impression
that government has taken care of that and that all is well with the right documents in place?
The problem therein becomes that there is a gap between public schools head teachers and the social welfare department. It¶s either one of mismanagement and a lack of conscientiousness on their part or it is one of corruption and swindling funds that are meant to help these children and someone should be held accountable and bring answers to the public.
Is it that social work has different value systems according to the dynamic differences of the under privileged in society or is it that indeed free education in public schools is free and parents at primary levels, especially, have to buy uniforms only.
If this truth is the only truth about access to education in government schools, then we should look into the schools that request parents and poor families to still pay fees ± they should be investigated.
Is it that social work does send the funds, and somewhere in the system someone in these government schools pockets them in the pretext that government is not paying full amounts and the parents and children trying to get an education are the ones who suffer? Or is it that the parents lack knowledge and being educated as to why this happens?
Or government is merely a victim of greedy individuals in schools pocketing this money with no idea of the issues that underlie at the helm of the chain?
The truth remains that there is a problem and there are assumptions and there can be no final conclusion made, but the problem is one that needs to be addressed and one in which someone must be brought forth to answer to and set straight the problems so that the intention of free education is maintained and to serve its purpose dutifully.