The Gauteng Education Department says many no-fee schools in the province are experiencing financial mismanagement linked to School Governing Bodies (SGBs).
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile says schools in the province owe municipalities more than R500 million, while over R6 million is owed to Eskom. He attributes the debt to factors such as estimated billing and rising inflation.
In addition, the department’s head, Albert Chanee, says there is an urgent need for SGBs to be equipped with the necessary training and resources to manage school funds effectively.
He further explains that fee-paying schools tend to manage municipal accounts better because they rely on school fees. However, in no-fee schools, financial decentralisation is affected by several challenges, including the level of competence among SGB members responsible for managing school accounts with municipalities.
The department says improving training and support for SGBs is necessary to address the financial management challenges facing no-fee schools.
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