Some Emaswati have raised concerns on the rising cost of education, calling on government to regulate school fees and reform the administration of scholarships to prevent learners from dropping out due to financial constraints.
The concerns were aired when Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini led a delegation of senators to Nkamazi Umphakatsi under Chief Gija on yesterday, as part of Parliament’s ‘Taking Parliament to the People’ initiative.
Addressing the gathering, Sabelo Maziya said elected members of Parliament were often overwhelmed by requests from parents seeking assistance with school fees, a situation he attributed to the absence of effective regulation.
He said a local Member of Parliament Nokuthula Masuku was well aware of the pressure, as many families struggled to meet schools’ rigid fee requirements.
Maziya argued that schools should be compelled to introduce flexible payment arrangements, allowing parents to make manageable deposits, as low as E500, while settling outstanding balances over time, instead of demanding fixed upfront payments running into thousands of Emalangeni.
He said such regulation would contribute to national development by keeping children in school.
He further lamented the handling of scholarships, citing the case of a learner from the constituency who had been admitted to the country’s main university.
He said the student had attended classes for two months while awaiting the announcement of scholarship beneficiaries, only to later be informed that she did not qualify after failing to meet the cut-off points.
As a result, the learner was forced to drop out as her parents could not afford the tuition fees.
Maziya said it was disheartening that the student, who had completed high school, remained at home due to financial hardship.
He suggested that the scholarship board considers temporarily paying fees for deserving students who could not afford them, with the funds to be reimbursed at a later stage.
Echoing similar sentiments, Bhekindlela Petros said the lack of regulation had left many parents unable to cope with escalating school fees.
He said some schools were effectively operating beyond government control, resulting in fees becoming increasingly unaffordable.
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Petros called for a comprehensive review of school fee structures, arguing that regulation would ensure fees were set at levels that parents could realistically afford.
He also urged government to reconsider the free primary education policy, noting that, in practice, education was never entirely free.
He proposed the establishment of a dedicated education fund, similar in structure to a pension fund, to sustainably support free education and ease the burden on parents.
In response, Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini said all the concerns raised had been noted and would be forwarded to the relevant authorities for consideration.
She said the outreach was in line with His Majesty the King’s call to improve the welfare of Emaswati.
Dlamini said Parliament acknowledged and appreciated the guidance of Their Majesties, adding that the issues raised would be taken forward in the spirit of advancing the well-being of the nation.
