Western Cape public schools paid over R36 million in bank charges in 2021

Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape

Western Cape public schools paid a total of over R36 million in bank charges last year, at an average of R23 572 per school.

However, this average obscures a number of significant outliers: 40 of our schools have reported paying over R100 000 per year in bank charges, with the top 10 highest bank charges alone totalling over R1.5 million in 2021:

Alarmingly, one of our no-fee schools is paying over R100 000 a year in bank charges, with a further 8 no-fee schools paying more than R50 000.

While account holders must pay for services rendered, we would like to ensure that school funds are primarily spent on learners’ education, especially where our no-fee schools are concerned.

The Department has written to the 10 fee-charging and 9 no-fee schools with the highest charges for their input regarding the expense, and what assistance they would like from the Department to help them reduce the charges.

We have also reached out to senior managers of some of the major banks on an informal basis to discuss the situation, and I appreciate their willingness to examine the issue to find ways to reduce the costs. I will be engaging formally with the major banks for their assistance once all of our data is collated.

We will offer schools our support in finding ways to reduce this cost, so that learners receive the full benefit of investments in education.

Media Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
Western Cape Ministry of Education
Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za