Schools that signed agreements with the Competition Commission heeded the commission’s call to root out anti-competitive practices on the pricing of school uniforms and the monopoly of supply.
“Since the conclusion of the settlement agreements in 2019, the commission has not received any complaints from parents or any other stakeholders against the parties with whom these agreements were concluded. This is in and of itself an indication that these parties are complying with the order,” said the commission spokesperson, Siyabulela Makunga.
Settlement agreements were concluded with the AdvTech Group, St Andrew’s School for Girls, Curro Schools and Inspired Schools, as well as the two largest manufacturers and suppliers of school uniforms, Grit Procurement and McCullagh & Bothwell.
Competition Commission and school governing bodies school uniform sign agreement citizen.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from citizen.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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News24 spoke to six learners who achieved outstanding marks at St Andrew s School for Girls and St David s Marist Inanda.
St Andrew s recorded a 100% pass rate for the 32nd year in a row.
St David s recorded a 100% pass rate, with 97% receiving a bachelor pass.
The global pandemic sent the country s education system into a tailspin and forced schools to change their model of teaching and learning - but, for some top achievers from the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), it also taught discipline and how to knuckle down and focus.
The day before the IEB results were set to be released, News24 caught up with six matrics from St Andrew s School for Girls and St David s Marist Inanda, both in Johannesburg.
The most expensive schools in South Africa in 2021
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Despite calls from education experts for private school fees to remain the same or have ‘controlled increases’ in 2021, the cost of private education in South Africa continues to climb.
In October 2020, South African governing body associations advised the country’s 3,000 fee-paying schools against price hikes in 2021, saying that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown had placed all South Africans, even the wealthy, under strain.
Paul Colditz, chief executive of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools said the financial hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic had hit private schools harder than public schools. “I think you will see a decrease in enrolment in private schools,” he said.