Village schools...how the lack of ABC means no funding!

Schools in South Africa are classified as 'village' schools if the catchment area for the intake of pupils is particularly underprivileged, deprived & poor, and as a result they should receive increased funding. However 'De La Ray Mkatshwa' junior school in Port St Johns was, despite the best efforts of some of the teachers a sad, unhealthy, unhygienic place for the nearly 400 children who attend this school. Only approximately 300 of those children are funded by the education department.

The problem - each school only receives funding for children with an identification document, which all South Africans are required to have, however many parents in this extremely poor area are unable to read or write & are intimidated by the application process. The children end up with no documentation, the school ends up with no funding for those children and the vicious circle of deprivation and poor education continues.