Schools Fund

The Schools System in South Africa is still extremely polarised with some of the best examples of schooling in the world operating within previous 'Model C' schools whilst the majority of 'Township' schools are in a state of terrible disrepair, with lessons interrupted by rain and wind, have no facilities other than blackboards and desks, and often teach without the relevant textbook!  Readers not associated with the historical South African education system will not be aware that, during apartheid times,  Model C schools were designated for Whites only and therefore were built well, with excellent infrastructure and resources.  The Model C schools were well maintained and built to be easy to maintain with good brick walls, proper land drainage and tiled roofs.  The ex Model C schools remain in excellent state of repair and are now well run, often semi private with parents making small contributions to top up the government allowance.  Meanwhile the Township schools were for 'Black' and 'Coloured' only, were built with poor infrastructure including asbestos roofs, no land drainage and poor sanitation pits.  Once these Township schools were built there was no budget allowed for maintenance and parents had to pay to send their children there.  The current state of disrepair of many of these Township schools (now renamed Quintile Schools) is shocking:  When it rains the classrooms flood from the roof and from the land with no drainage mudslides fill the classroom floors.  Learners lose a day of learning during the rain and a day following the rain while they dig out their classrooms.

Quintile 1 schools are the most impoverished and Quintile 5 the least.  Quintile 1 to 3 school Learners are entitled to free school meals.