The financially struggling National School of the Arts (NSA) will receive help from Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie to improve its financial situation.
This comes after the NSA made headlines in recent weeks for staring down bankruptcy.
McKenzie visited the NSA on Saturday along with representatives from his department and Deputy Minister Peace Mabe.
The ministry was informed during the meeting that the school’s cash flow was currently depleted and that salaries might not be paid by the end of August.
The school provides specialised high school courses in the arts but is still under the Gauteng department of basic education.
“In a very productive engagement, the minister undertook to have the ministry carry some of the school’s immediate liabilities, while the minister and the department will engage with the department of basic education [in Gauteng] to study the school’s business model and return it to independence and stability over the coming months,” said the ministry.
Valuable national asset
“An agreement was reached between Minister Gayton McKenzie and the school governing body that the institution is a valuable national asset within the arts sector and an integral part of granting access to the arts for underprivileged students.
“About a third of learners are exempted from school fees, including for living in the NSA hostel, but worryingly, a quarter of parents have simply refused to pay their school fees despite allegedly being able to do so.
“This is a matter the ministry will be examining carefully, along with the school and the department of basic education.”
The ministry intends to work with the school’s creditors in order to improve its financial situation.
Remarkable alumni from the NSA include Charlize Theron, Vincent Bones, the 2014 winner of Idols South Africa, Lorna Maseko, Zoe Modiga, Dan Patlansky, Karen Zoid, Bianca le Grange, and many more. – SAnews.gov.za
