Unfair practice

AS if four holidays between the terms and public holidays aren’t enough, the school system goes and makes another holiday now so that they can have an extra so-called ‘long weekend’.

Now for three days, I must try figure out what to do with my five-year-old daughter.

I can’t leave her alone at home, I don’t have a domestic (can’t afford one), I don’t have family close by and all my friends work as well.

Yet, I now have to dig into my already tight budget to pay someone to look after her on these days because, God forbid, I deduct the money from the monthly school fees and aftercare fees I already pay; although I don’t get the benefit of utilising them for the month.

I only get 15 day’s leave a year and try to save these for the December holidays because I still work then, but need to look after her during this time, myself, as there aren’t many people or places open and available during this time for the service.

Surely I cannot be the only parent who finds this to be a major problem, this inconvenient and unfair practice in today’s society?

So come on schools, spare a thought for us average South African parents who cannot afford these extra holidays of yours!

SAMANTHA PRETORIUS