Johannesburg - Gauteng schools are rapidly moving towards a situation where 60 percent of the province's learners will not have to pay school fees.
This is according to Education MEC Barbara Creecy, who was addressing principals and school governing bodies (SGB) in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Creecy said her department was likely to not only achieve the 60 percent target set by government, but to also exceed it - making a massive contribution in improving access to education in the province.
The MEC met with schools' leadership, most of whom had applied to the department to be classified as no-fee schools, in order to clarify what the implications of such a classification were.
No-fee schools do not charge compulsory school fees and receive a subsidy from the department.
Last year, Creecy visited all the school districts in Gauteng. When she met with principals, many of them felt they had been wrongly classified under the Quintile system.
A review of the system was conducted at national level and it was decided that there would be a move towards two types of school - fee paying schools and non fee paying schools.
She explained that Thursday's meeting was part of a process that began in April this year when schools applied for the no fee status.
Creecy stressed that the process was a consultative one and urged the principals and SGBs to inform parents about the implications of being a no-fee school and to get their input before taking a final decision.
The department's Albert Chanee said the aim of no-fee schools was to reduce the burden on parents, improve resource environment and the quality of learning at schools.
He told principals that some of the implications for those schools that wanted to be declared no-fee schools was that parents would no longer pay school fees. The school would have to supply all learner support materials and ensure that no learner is excluded from any curricular or co-curricular activity, such as excursions and sports.
Chanee stressed that the financial management would not change and that schools would still be expected to prepare budgets and keep a record of funds received and spent.
Schools would have to show that the decision by the school to apply for no- fee status for 2011/12 was endorsed at a meeting of parents, he added.
