Primary schools are filling up quickly
The mother lodged an appeal with the Gauteng Department of Education
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – The parent of a soon to be Grade one learner is unhappy after her child was put on a waiting list at a nearby school that has already reached it’s full capacity.
According to the mother the application to the primary school was received on April 22, and on July 22 the school reportedly told her that they could not accommodate the child as there was no space left. The child was subsequently placed on a waiting list.
The mother lodged an appeal with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) on August 25.
“When I questioned the application’s rejection, the school told me there was no time to check the addresses of 250 applicants. My question was why documents like the proof of address and bank statements were requested if it served no purpose? We live only 1,2km from the school,” the mother explained.
GDE spokesperson, Phumla Sekhonyane, said the parent has been given an offer of placement at another school which is closer to her home. The parent initially requested that the learner be placed at the school which was declared full to capacity by the district verification team. The appeal process is currently underway.
“The department remains committed to complying with its constitutional obligation to place all those who need space in public schools in Gauteng. This also means that learners will be placed at a school where there is space available and this might not be close to where their parents work or reside,” she said.
The parent is still waiting for the appeal’s outcome. “I find it very difficult to accept that we have to wait for so long to get a reply from the department. As a matter of fact my daughter-in-law called and was told that we were given the alternative school as an option. But I find it strange, because when I spoke to the replacement school, just purely for information, they told me they were full. My question is where did they get space all of a sudden and why can’t the first school I went to do the same?” asked the parent.
According to a proposed amendment bill by the Department of Basic Education, no matter how well intended, parents who lie about their residence to place their children in ‘better’ schools or schools of their choice, can face criminal charges and at least six months in jail.
