The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Free State is calling on the Department of Education to take disciplinary action against certain principals who are allegedly denying learners access to schools based on their socio-economic background.
According to EFF Provincial Secretary Bosanku Msimanga, some schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district are refusing children access to education because they cannot afford to pay the requested fees.
Msimanga emphasises that these principals are infringing on the rights of learners as enshrined in the constitution. The EFF has pledged to intervene where possible to address these issues.
Pupils in the Free State need more support:
Challenges
In other provinces across the country, parents are still facing challenges in securing placements for their children as the 2024 academic year begins.
The Basic Education Department has highlighted that the online admission system is not the primary issue; instead, it’s the lack of space at preferred schools.
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 help in allocating spaces to learners who have applied within a given period in the time frame provided by the provincial education department. The system informs parents where there are still spaces and where spaces are no longer available, leading to conflicts.”
Meanwhile, overcrowded classrooms continue to be a challenge for schools in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, on the first day of schooling for the 2024 academic year.
Parents of learners from one of the schools in the area, Dr A.W Habelgaarn Primary School, say the overcrowding compromises the quality of education. Despite this challenge at the school, more parents are still trying to find the last spot for their children.
Education Forum decries unresolved school overcrowding issues:
