Economists warn that private schools in South Africa could see more learners dropping out and returning to former model C schools in 2023 as parents’ salaries struggle to match high levels of inflation and a higher cost of living in the country., Econometrix chief economist Azar Jammine and Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt both warned that this was the case.
For education, this would be taking kids out of expensive private schools and placing them in ‘lower class’ schools where the fees are cheaper, and the standard of education is still acceptable. School fee increases in the last two years have been well below inflation, leaving many schools struggling to draw in sufficient revenue. Meanwhile, schools’ costs keep rising, and about a quarter of budgets go towards funding fee exemptions and debt.
The author is comparing some termly and weekly boarding schools with Day Boy Schools. Day Schools still need to factor in eg. Food, Daily Travel Costs, Laundry, Electricity, Water, Weekend Entertainment to gain a true cost comparison.