SCA brings school fee relief for single parents
In what a Cape Argus report calls a victory for single parents, the SCA has overturned a Western Cape High Court decision forcing them to obtain the financial details of their former partners in applying for school fees exemption. The report notes in 2011, single parent Michelle Saffer applied for an exemption at Fish Hoek High School for her daughter, but was refused after the school requested financial statements from her ex-husband which she could not provide.
She took the decision to the Western Cape High Court which upheld the school’s decision. She appealed the judgment at the SCA, which ruled in her favour.
The SCA made a ruling which would ensure that fee exemption applications were processed in relation to the circumstances of single parents and not on a combined income.
The report adds the decision will bring relief to thousands of single parents with children in public schools who could not gain exemptions due to the High Court judgment, which held parents jointly liable for fees.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
