Hope gleams for first time scholars
Children who were out in cold following the closing of 2014 school admissions offered a glimmer of hope.
TOWNSVIEW: The Gauteng Department of Education’s effort to place learners who were in Grade R this year into Primary Schools has offered hope to young children who are looking forward to their first day in big children’s school.
A little boy from Bassonia is said to be breathing a sigh of relief as he has got placed in a school, not in the area he resides in, but still in the south of Johannesburg, after having struggled to get placement since the beginning of the year.
His once concerned mother, Luisa, has confirmed that her “baby boy” will be starting Grade 1 in 2014.
She was reported in the CHRONICLE early this year to have been tirelessly trying to get admission into schools for her son around the south to no avail, even though she had complied with the admissions period and applied early.
A large number of children were reported to have been struggling to get admission into schools, with many placed on waiting lists but the Education department has stepped in to assist concerned parents in helping their children have a place to learn in 2014.
The Gauteng Department of Education has since established admission centres in each of the 15 Districts as well as a Head Office admission centre to facilitate placement of learners and to speedily resolve admission queries and referrals. According to the department, at least 600 queries have been processed so far.
“We urge parents who still have queries about the placement of their children to visit the district offices for assistance rather than going directly to the schools,” said MEC Barbara Creecy. “While we may not be able to accommodate all learners in their school of preference, we will endeavour to fulfil our constitutional obligation to offer a school place to all of Gauteng’s learners.”
Luisa told the CHRONICLE that the Johannesburg South Education district held a meeting at Townsview Primary School in September to address parents’ concerns of finding a school for their unregistered children.
Reportedly, a building has been identified in La Rochelle which will be transformed into a school in time for school period of 2014 and it is said will accommodate hundreds of various grades of children. We are told that 40 children from Glenanda will be given placement as well as 40 from other southern areas.
“In the case of schools where a particular entry-level grade has been fully subscribed, the District Director responsible will declare that grade of the school as full for that year. In such cases, no further applications will be considered. The admissions Regulations make provision for parents/guardians to object to the District Directors decision in cases where applications have been unsuccessful and appeal to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) if the learner remains unplaced,” added Creecy in a statement.
The Gauteng Department of Education also stated that in cases where learners cannot be accommodated because a particular grade applied for at a school has been declared full, the MEC would provide for alternative placement, taking into consideration the proximity to the learner’s home or parent’s work address. The schools readiness programme also includes assessment of facilities.
