GOVERNING BODY

11 June 2020

Dear Vlammie parent / guardian

Our lives, as we knew it, have been drastically changed by the Covid-19 pandemic.  We as a school, also meet many challenges, with many uncertainties.  The SGB (School Governing Body) and the SMT (School Management Team) are working closely together to adapt to new circumstances.

The core of a school is its academics, to equip each learner with quality education.  As SGB we have to govern the school and utilise the finances and assets of the school for this purpose.  Covid-19 has compelled us to re-focus on our core.  The budget has thus been adapted to fit the changed reality.

According to SASA (South African Schools’ Act), it is the responsibility and obligation by law to ensure that school fees are paid and / or recovered.  A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all the parents who have paid and are still paying school fees regularly.  In times like these we rely on your support.  However, there has been a 24% decline in the payment of school fees.  The financial office personnel are in the process of personally contacting every parent who is in arrears.

It has also come to our attention that some parents are very negative regarding the payment of school fees.  Please be aware of the fact that the expenditures of the school did not change during this lockdown period.  Certain expenditures have decreased, but a substantial part of our expenditures are fixed.  Salaries make up the biggest percentage and because we value our teaching staff, we cannot afford to lose a single teacher.  During the remainder of the year our teaching staff will be under a lot of stress to complete the curriculum and they will be expected to walk the extra mile.

You will have noticed that e-learning programmes have been initiated, thus attempting to keep up the effort of bringing quality education to your child at home.  The teachers have been hard at work during the lockdown period.  Further expenditures were accrued like:

There is a difference between school fees and contractual payments linked to service delivery.  It cannot be perceived that because there is no “school”, school fees need not be paid.  The payment of school fees is a statutory obligation.  The SGB realise that the economy has suffered and finances are problematic and families are battling to make end meet.  Should you experience any problems making school fee payments, it stays your obligation to contact the finance office as soon as possible to make arrangements.

The SGB wish every parent and every learner all of the best during these trying times.  Now is the time to take hands and work together.  This too shall pass and then we will be stronger.

Kind regards

 MR FERDI BIJZET

GOVERNING BODY CHAIRPERSON