The 2024 academic year begins on Wednesday with millions of learners expected in classrooms around the country. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has visited the Kgatoentle Secondary school in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, to monitor the re-opening of schools for the new academic year.
Motshekga is joined by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane.
Kgatoentle is one of the many schools opening their doors for learning today. The Minister will make a tour of the school where she will talk to teachers and students. She will also address learners and parents in the school’s main hall.
Minister Angie Motshekga, together with @EducationGP1 MEC Matome Chiloane have arrived at Kgatoentle Secondary School in Ga-Rankuwa. #BackToSchool2024 @ElijahMhlanga @HubertMweli @dbetvnews pic.twitter.com/wzZfvQeCVW
— Dep. Basic Education (@DBE_SA) January 17, 2024
Basic Education Minister, Gauteng Premier and MEC visit Ga-Rankuwa school:
Struggle to obtain placements
Meanwhile, parents in some provinces are still struggling to obtain placements for their children in schools.
The Department of Basic Education says its online admission system is not the problem but the lack of space at schools where parents want their children to be placed.
The department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says, “Even if the system was perfect or even if you were to remove the system, the queues and the frustration would remain. What the system does though is to help in allocating spaces to learners who have applied at a given period in the time frame that has been given by the provincial education department.”
“That system tells you where there are still spaces and where spaces are no longer available and when that is communicated to parents that’s when the conflict arises,” adds Mhlanga.
The video below is reporting on the story
Western Cape
The Western Cape Education Department says it’s looking forward to welcoming learners for the new academic year. Premier, Alan Winde and Provincial Education MEC David Maynier are expected to visit Westcott Primary School in Diep on Wednesday.
Maynier says they have been hard at work preparing for a smooth reopening of the provincial schools. He says about R95 million has been spent on books, stationery and equipment alone.
“Our officials and contractors have also been working throughout the holidays to deliver ten new schools and hundreds of extra classrooms for new learners in 2024. We appeal for patience as we finalise the remaining placements of new applicants. We wish our learners, teachers, parents and officials a happy new school year,” he adds.
Northern Cape
Meanwhile, some parents in Kimberley in the Northern Cape say they are not happy with the schools that the Department of education has placed their children in.
The parents are still hoping to appeal the decision – maintaining that the schools were not their preferred choices.
Some parents say the online application system in the Northern Cape has failed them and their children who are meant to start Grades R, One, and Eight.
They say despite applying on time – they are still stuck with schools that were not part of their three choices.
The parents believe their children will not receive quality education in the schools that the department placed them in.
“When the online applications were open, I applied for 3 schools as required. When they responded they told me there was no placement for the schools I applied for. So I should wait for placement. Until today, I’m waiting for placement.”
“When registration opened, the next day I applied. I only got the response saying that my child was being placed at the same school and I didn’t apply to the school he was attending. I wanted a different school. I’m not happy at all,” explains a frustrated parent.
De La Salle Holy Cross College
SABC News’ Leanne Manas is at De La Salle Holy Cross College in Johannesburg. The school prides itself as one of the independent Catholic schools in South Africa catering for learners from Grade R to Grade 12.
