Toilet paper and cleaning supplies are among the most complained about items on school stationery lists for 2025.
Across the country, parents, guardians and netizens have taken to social media to complain and raise concerns about this year’s stationery lists.
Also, in true South African fashion, jokes were part of the mix.
Unfortunately, not all social media posts with these lists had the school names and year 2025 visible. Not all indicated whether they were public or private schools.
A Grade 7 stationery list for 2025 for Ngqayizivele Primary School, uMlazi, KwaZulu-Natal includes a ream of 500 sheets of paper, a pack of 10 toilet paper rolls, a 30-page flip file, two 45g of Pritt, five blue pens and roll ups.
Another Durban school, Roseland Primary School, has a list for Grade 5 pupils. Among several stationery supplies, pupils were also asked to bring a pack of 10 toilet paper rolls.
Grade 7’s were also asked to bring the same amount of toilet paper and sanitiser.
KZN Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said: “There are schools that we buy for and there are those that are in Section 21 with function C that buy on their own.”
In other stationery lists that were shared on X (formerly Twitter), one required pupils to bring one 750ml Sunlight dishwashing liquid, one 1kg of pine gel, one 750ml of Handy Andy or Jik, one 750ml of Domestos, five boxes of facial tissues (2ply), one pack of 2ply toilet papers (18s), one 500ml hand wash soap, one air freshener (believed to be a can) and one wet wipe (believed to be a packet).
Another Grade 4 stationery list asked for 18 toilet rolls (2ply), one air freshener, one hand wash, 10 refuse bags and one Handy Andy, one Domestos or one 1 litre pine gel.
It’s bad bad 😭 pic.twitter.com/dZmjKtnMoo
Also on X, a tweep replied to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s January 4 post about long walks. The tweep asked the minister if she had seen pine gel on the stationery list, to which the minister replied that she had not seen it.
Bendingekayiboni 🫣
— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) January 4, 2025
This is how tweeps reacted:
Parents really need to have a meeting. What's with the cleaning products ?
— Angel1lilly (@angel1lilly) January 3, 2025
Red pens ?
36 HB pencils ?
No. I would definitely have some issues with this nonsense.
Those toiletries are "stockvel" items for teachers.. how is dishwashing and jik compulsory?. Imagine a class of 25kids 😭![CDATA[]]>😭![CDATA[]]>😭. Naah in actual fact the whole list is robbery njee 🤞![CDATA[]]>🤞
— Lancie Sekos (@redbakkie13) January 3, 2025
Other stationery lists:
??????? pic.twitter.com/IfO1FGcC96
— 𝐴![CDATA[]]>𝑦![CDATA[]]>𝑎![CDATA[]]>𝑛![CDATA[]]>𝑑![CDATA[]]>𝑎 ♈︎ (@sweerie_) January 4, 2025
Looking at the Stationery list
— Lebohang Phokela (@LeboPhokela) January 4, 2025
Which one of the items are you definitely leaving out?
The last item on this list should be taken from the fees #BackToSchool pic.twitter.com/JYvGNw2O06
How others reacted:
Stationery list got me singing struggle songs.
— Mr Semion Mogilevich Jnr (@MvulaneDo) January 8, 2025
Senzeeeeni naaaa!
The requirements for Stationery in Gauteng government schools is unbelievable.
— Thulani Manqele (@ThulaniManqele1) January 7, 2025
A Grade 1 stationery list, among other ludicrous requirements such as 4 tins of Airfreshner must bring 4 Red Pens. What do the Grade 1's use red pens for? Hhay bo!!
My friend showed me her child's stationery list. I came across "2× Sunlight liquid" and I asked what is it for? Do they make kids wash their lunchbox or??? Kgolo ya ngwana ga e hele ele ruri gonne worse all the responsibilities lies on you ....