Home

Gauteng Education Department scraps 5km radius regulation

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Gauteng Education Department has scrapped regulation that confined learners in the province to attend schools within a five kilometre radius of their home addresses.  There are five main criteria, namely home address in relation to feeder zones, having a sibling in the same school (except where they are in grade seven),  the parents’ work address in relation to feeder zones, schools within a thirty kilometre radius, and schools beyond a thirty kilometre radius.

Gauteng Eduction MEC Panyaza Lesufi says this amendment benefits learners from all walks of life. “Previously, children in Soweto were confined to Soweto. Children in Tembisa were confined to Tembisa or a 5km radius, so the 30 km radius is a very important system. But the irony is, our enemies are now using this 30 km radius to defend their story, because they know they are bussing children from the farming areas outside Gauteng.”

The Department says the registration process for 2020 online applications will be rolled out over three phases. The Gauteng online applications are set to proceed on Monday at eight o’clock when the Department’s portal goes live.

Legal disputes had caused postponements last week. The Department has encouraged parents to complete applications as soon as possible.

“We are opening tomorrow (Monday) at eight, until 22 July at midnight, not at eight, at midnight. Immediately after that, on the 31 August 2019, every parent that applied on time will have a happy SMS coming to their phones to say your child is placed in this school. Then the last phase , that’s when the schools will then place your child after you’ve accepted, because when we send that happy SMS, you must accept within 7 working days and give us all the documents,” says MEC Panyaza Lesufi . Author-Tshimo Maputla 


Author

MOST READ