Gauteng Department of Education partners with Curro Schools

The Gauteng Department of Education has partnered with Curro Schools to mitigate capacity challenges at government schools.

Every year, hundreds of learners are left without placement, because public schools in their area are filled to capacity.

Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says they have an agreement in place where Curro will accommodate learners that were not placed in government schools. He says they will be taken in at a discounted rate.

“Curro has indicated that they will place all unplaced learners that we have that can afford to go to these schools. What we said to Curro, was that learners will use your facilities and it must not be at a price that you normally charge. It must be at a price that the government normally charges. We have managed to reach about a 30% price reduction,” says Lesufi.

Meanwhile, the Western Cape Department of Education says it is ready for the start of the new school year on Wednesday. Last year, over a million pupils started in schools in the province and about the same numbers are expected for 2020.

Provincial Minister of Education, Debbie Schafer, says each year around 18 000 new learners enter Western Cape schools.

Schafer says everything is in place, “Our stationery has been ordered, textbooks have been ordered and delivered, and teacher and staff establishment has been done in good time, for more teachers to be appointed. There aren’t enough of them of course, because of our budget. But we’ve done absolutely everything as a department can do …  placements of learners we’re still busy with.”

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