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If you’re looking for a stark example of class inequality in South Africa, look no further than the education system.

The spectrum is wildly diametric, ranging from brick buildings with overcrowded classrooms and limited resources, to elite private schools.

If you want to secure your child a private education, you often need to be willing to pay through the teeth, with some charging more per annum than you’d pay for a year at a top university.

In light of the economic difficulties facing all South Africans during the pandemic, with some questioning whether they should be paying fees at all when schools were (or are) closed, education experts called on private schools not to increase their fees for 2021, or alternately to control increases to make things easier on parents.

Despite this, the cost of private education is still on the rise.

Anthea Cereseto, national chief executive of the Governing Body Foundation, told BusinessTech:

“We would consider it somewhat reckless if an ordinary public school took no notice of the economic position of families. We are really emphasising cutbacks and delaying the implementation of proposed projects.”

While a number of private schools did get on board with freezing fees, some chose to increase them.

The three most expensive private schools in South Africa all increased their fees for 2021.

Let’s take a look at the fees that cover room and board, first, which BusinessTech has also laid out in tabular form here.

Hilton College (pictured above), which has long held the top spot as the country’s most expensive private school, retained its position with a 3% increase on fees, taking them from R321 890 in 2020 to R331 550 in 2021.

Michaelhouse, in second place, increased its fees by 2,9 from R303 600 in 2020, to R312 350 in 2021.

In third place, we have St Andrew’s College, Grahamstown, with an increase of 5% from R291 000 in 2020 to R305 550 in 2021.

Bishops College (the eighth most expensive private school) was the only school in the top 10 that didn’t increase its annual fee of R277 800 for 2021.

When it comes to day schools, Kearsney College comes in as the most expensive day school with an annual tuition fee of just under R200 000, up 4,5% from 2020.

St John’s College takes the second spot with an increase of 2,7% from R167 658 in 2020 to R172 185 in 2021.

The third spot goes to Roedean School for Girls which went from R162 926 in 2020 to R167 814 in 2021, an increase of 3%.

Hilton and Michaelhouse don’t offer day school options.

While those percentages might seem low, if you take into account the current economic climate, a 5% increase on fees such as those, for example, that secure your place at St Andrew’s College, amount to another R14 550 that you have to drop on your child’s tuition per annum.

And that’s before you take into account that those fees will continue to increase every year.

If you have your sights set on a private education for your little one, you’d better start saving.

For the full list of South Africa’s most expensive schools, head on over to BusinessTech.

[source:businesstech]