Emmarentia Primary School

EMMARENTIA PRIMARY SCHOOL

I have battled to write this, but I feel so victimised, for use of a better word, by my experience with Emmarentia Primary School. My three children were pupils at this primary school since 1998, and I was even a pupil there back in the day. The point of this review and rant is that in 2014, my youngest was in Grade 7. Due to unforeseen circumstances that had actually been in play for a number of years, I was forced to take her out 2 months into her Grade 7 year. I simply could not afford the school fees any longer and had decided to homeschool her. My middle child had completed her primary years at EPS, her last two years with a fee exemption. I told the principal at the time, Cheryl Donald, that I was taking my daughter out because I couldn't pay the fees. They said they were sorry, etc. and that was that. The following year I got a call from CeeBee collection agency to say that I owed school fees, I told them that my daughter had not attended school. They said they would get back to me. They never did. Until the following year where I got another call from the agency. I told them the same story and they said they would get back to me. They never did. Until the following year. Same story. I finally send an email to Cheryl Donald, the principal and asked her why I was getting calls from a collection agency. She never responded. I sent another email to her. No response. Until this year where I got an email to say that I owed over R7000 for school fees not paid, including years of interest. I contacted the school again. No response. Another communication from the collection agency and another email to the school, this time to a new principal. After two emails, she finally responded and told me that they would look into this and get back to me. Well yes, they got back to me, in the form of the collection agency saying I was liable and had to pay R500 a month to clear this debt. It didn't matter at all that I have a 20-year history at EPS, I was an involved parent, running the tuck shop for a year, always helping out and assisting at concerts, sports days, etc. The school was fully aware of my personal situation - a husband that had abandoned my and 3 children, I had no job, and no income. He had left us in so much debt, that 7 years later I am still trying to get out the hole. I am so shattered and disappointed with the treatment received from an institution that we were a part of for so long. They have been totally insensitive to a situation that I had absolutely no control over, and considering the history we shared. Very sad that it came to this.