The Gauteng Education department has had to make the hard choice between having some schools overcrowded or leave children unplaced, as space seems to be a challenge with learners starting Grades 1 and 8 in the new academic year.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane says this during a media briefing in Kempton Park on the progress of admission and placement of learners for the start of the year’s first term for inland schools on Wednesday.
Chiloane says learners who still remain unplaced are mostly in high pressure areas.
“We have managed to place 290 751, we are left with 1 394 learners to be placed as of this morning. So, that is 0.5% that is left [out]. There are certain areas where there are pressure areas and that’s where this number comes from. Ekurhuleni north, namely the Olifant and Kempton Park area are where we are this morning, this is a high pressure area,” says Chiloane.
Gauteng Education MEC gives update on 2023 online admissions
1 day to go until Term 1 of the 2023 academic year begins.
Gauteng public schools will officially reopen and resume learning on Wednesday, 11 January 2023. #Back2SchoolGP pic.twitter.com/EFjYKncS4e
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) January 10, 2023
Meanwhile some flood survivors in and around Durban, KwaZulu-Natal are facing an uphill battle ahead of the 2023 academic year, after they were relocated out of the areas where their children originally went to school.
Some flood victims were initially in community halls following April’s floods and before being relocated by the provincial government to alternative accommodation. Many say, the distance from their new homes to their childrens’ schools is too far.
Winnie Gumede’s child is supposed to register for Grade 9 this year, she says she cannot afford school fees in her new location.
Gumede says, “My child is Vuyani Gumede he was attending Mtapo High school in Lindelani area, he was doing Grade 8. So, this year he is supposed to be doing Grade 9, my problem at the moment is I don’t know which school he will be attending since we are here in Reservoir Hill, he used to walk to school from Ntuzuma to Lindelani, right now I don’t know what is going to happen as far as my child’s education is concerned.
“I’m also worried the schools will be opening next week, schools entertained new admissions since October 2022 but my child is not registered in any new school, government officials had told us that we will be given letters from the Housing Department to assist us in looking for schools for our kids – up to now nothing has happened,” adds Gumede.
Flood-affected parents concerned about 2023 school registrations
