Foot in mouth: Hout Bay School says learners who can’t afford shoes can’t write exams

15 November 2024  

The powers of School Governing Bodies to deny children access to education on the basis of language, culture or social class must be curtailed.

In Hout Bay, a governing body wants to exclude children who can’t afford shoes.

The principal and chairperson of the governing body at Sentinel Primary School in Hout Bay are threatening learners without “proper shoes” that they will be barred from writing exams.

That the chairperson of the Sentinel Primary governing body was willing to co-sign a bullying and unconstitutional letter is indicative of the need for guard rails to curb the autonomy of governing bodies that oppose universal access to education.

The non-fee paying school is located in the economically depressed township of Hangberg, which was designated a “Coloured area” in 1950 and developed to accommodate workers in the fishing industry.

The letter from acting principal, Ms De Jager and governing body chairperson, M Brink, dated 14 November, is addressed to parents and guardians. It names seven learners, warning that they “must have proper shoes before exams begin if not the learner will not be allowed to write exams”.

The letter is cruel, humiliating and unconstitutional. In its judgement in the FEDSAS matter in 2016, the Constitutional Court said a public school “must advance not only the parochial interest of its immediate learners but may, by law, also be required to help achieve universal and non-discriminatory access to education.”

FEDSAS is the national representative organisation for governing bodies of South African schools that strives for “maximum autonomy for governing bodies” including in determining language and admission policies.

Currently organisations like Afriforum, Solidarity, FF+ and DA are campaigning against the BELA Act, in a quest to retain the powers of School Governing Bodies to determine language policies – and therefore retain schools’ historic demographics.

But the situation at Sentinel Primary tells us that “maximum autonomy” is not the best idea. 

If children without “proper shoes” are denied education what chance do they have of escaping the cycle of poverty and being able to one day afford shoes for their children?

We call on Sentinel Primary to act with humanity and within the law, and urgently withdraw the letter, failing which the provincial Department of Education must act.

Issued by Brett Herron, GOOD SG, 15 November 2024