The Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, has pleaded with parents of learners who have not yet been allocated schools, to give them at least 10 days.
Motshekga was speaking in Cosmos City, north of Johannesburg where she’s monitoring the first day of schooling in inland provinces. 1 500 Gauteng learners are yet to be placed.
Motshekga says they are working to resolve the problem.
“We are saying to parents, they must give us 10 days which we normally have for mopping up. To make sure that we can identify where the spots are. If you do not have a mobile admission you are not able to identify on time to say where are the possible vacancies and outstanding numbers. This morning I was able to speak to the MEC. Confidently he’s able to tell me on an hourly basis how many they have placed. Without ICT we wont be able to do it. So it’s a very helpful system.”
Minister Motshekga engages with media at Cosmo Primary School:
According to the Education Department, of the more than 800 000 online applications for the 2023 school year, almost 90% have been placed. However, the non-placement number could be higher as there are still walk-ins.
“I’m not excited because I’ve registered my child here at this school. My child was doing grade R at this school. He’s now supposed to go to grade 1. I have applied online and they are not responding. At the school they sent me a message asking me to send them documents but no response. So i’m worried. How can you drop off a child at school and go without knowing if he’s in class or not,” says a concerned mother.
While the department insists that its online placement system is working, parents whose children haven’t been allocated a school yet, remain frustrated by system glitches.
Coastal schools open on next Wednesday.
Gauteng Education MEC gives update on 2023 online admissions:
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