Covid helped limit SA’S education costs
Schooling inflation at its lowest in 30 years
The outbreak of Covid-19 has helped push down education inflation to a 30-year low, data from Statistics South Africa show. The inflation data, released by the stats agency this week, recorded inflation at its lowest annual rate in three decades. The stats agency surveys educational institutions and crèches once a year in March.
The data showed that education fees increased by 4.1% in 2021 compared to last year’s rise of 6.4%. Historical data further show that this is the lowest increase since at least 1991.
“Schools were a contributing factor to the slower rise in education fees in 2021. Concerned about what impact higher costs would have on families during the Covid-19 pandemic, many schools implemented marginal increases to the fees that they charge,” statistician-general Risenga Maluleke said.
“Primary and secondary school fees increased by 2.5% and 4.3% respectively in 2021 [compared with 7.3% and 7.6% recorded in 2020]. Increases in crèche fees were similarly lower at 2.9%, compared with 6.7% in 2020.”
He added that tertiary institutions bucked the trend, however.
“Fees at universities and universities of technology increased on average by 5.1% in 2021, higher than the 4.7% rise recorded in 2020. University boarding fees increased by 6.5% in 2021, slightly higher than 2020’s 5.9%.”
The high university fees have seen many students accumulate unsustainable debt. Students across the country last month took to the streets to protest against exclusion based on debt they owe universities. Sunday World reported last week that all vice-chancellors of South Africa’s 26 public universities said scrapping the close to R14-billion owed to universities, collectively, would have a detrimental effect on the long-term sustainability of these institutions.
Henk Appelo, the lead specialist for investments at Liberty, said many parents often underestimated the costs associated with tertiary education, such as textbooks, accommodation, food and lifestyle costs.
“The cost of raising your child is always increasing, and as parents do their best to build their finances and fight against inflation, one of the largest ongoing expense is education.
“Last year, it was widely reported that the cost of educating a single child – from grade R to university and taking inflation into account – could set you back R1.6-million.
“Double this if you plan on sending your child to a private school and want them to pursue a postgraduate degree,” he said.