IN CONVERSATION WITH Ms Khomotjo Joy Maimela- Chairperson at Portfolio Committee on Basic Education

Towards the end of the 2025 school year, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education received complaints that some public schools and School Governing Bodies were withholding learners’ report cards and placing financial pressure on parents, including at no-fee schools. These complaints raised serious concerns about unlawful practices, the violation of learners’ rights, and the misuse of report cards as leverage to force parents to participate in fundraising or cover costs that should be borne by the state.

At the time, the Committee warned that learners should never be punished for their parents’ financial circumstances and emphasised that access to academic records is part of a learner’s right to basic education. The Committee also highlighted confusion and non-compliance around the rules governing no-fee schools, particularly around stationery, learning materials, and voluntary contributions.