Gauteng parents will only be able to apply for school placement for grade one and eight learners on the 20th May. The provincial education department say it has postponed the date after receiving last minute objections and a lawyer’s letter.
The online registration process was meant to start on the 13 May.
Following objections from among others, FEDSAS, AfriForum and the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysuie; online applications in Gauteng for 2020 have been postponed by a week. Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, says that the organisations threatened to approach the High Court if the postponement was not granted.
According to Lesufi, the organisations are arguing that the online process does not protect cultural languages and those who want to be taught in their mother tongue.
Lesufi has however, assured parents that no language was under threat.
“There is no language that is under threat and there is no one that will be denied to be taught in the language of their preference. But there will be no school that will close out other children because they feel their language is important and that they must study alone at that school. If the facilities are fully utilised, that is fine, but if the facilities are not fully utilised then we will bring in other children that want to be taught in other languages.”
The department says that it will spend this week consulting with the objecting parties. Online registration has been used in Gauteng schools for four years now.
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