Parents across the province can now breathe a sigh of relief as the Department of Education relaxes its admission regulations allowing children to be enrolled in a school despite the area they live in.
This comes after the Gauteng Legislature approved the regulations on school admissions including newly-determined feeder zones. This will take effect as of next year after the department has gazetted the amendments to the admission regulations.
MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi announced the changes on 10 March adding that the consultative process for the feeder zone determination was accommodative to everyone who participated. Lesufi established a feeder zone task team, consisting of officials from the department and external stakeholders including Governing Body Associations, Equal Education, Premiers Office, Municipal Demarcation Board participated and others.
According to the department, about 2 067 maps were finalised and published. However, about 334 schools contested their proposed feeder zones and their concerns were addressed.
“We must emphasise that the adjudicating process was in favour of 90 per cent of schools that contested and recommended adjustments, which were implemented accordingly,” said Lesufi.
He said the remaining 10 per cent schools misinterpreted their feeder zones and confused the 30km application radius with the feeder zone determination which was not provided for in terms of the criteria for determining feeder zone. “The confusion was swiftly resolved,” he added.
The key changes in the regulations are:
• To affirm the power of the HOD to administer admissions in the province
• To outlaw all forms of unfair discrimination
• To delegate the authority of determining feeder zones to the department
• To enable the management of admissions in entry phase grades through an online admissions process
• Finally, there are technical adjustments to bring it in line with court case judgement
• It clarifies criteria of placement of learners.
The amended regulations will assist learners to access a school if their place of residence is closest to the school within the feeder zone, has a sibling in the school, the place of employment of at least one parent of the applicant is within the feeder zone and the learner’s place of residence is within 30km radius of the school. However, learners residing outside the 30km radius would be accommodated when space is available.
Head of communications at Equal Education Leanne Jansen-Thomas said the organisation welcomed the department’s decision to shift away from the use of a 5km radius as the sole criterion in the determination of feeder zones.
“The amendments allow for a more in-depth consideration of the circumstances in which learners are accessing schools and highlights the need for geographical and spatial transformation,” she said.
She also highlighted that in light of the ongoing effects of apartheid, the determination of feeder zones based solely on one’s home or work address reinforces and perpetuates unequal access to education. “Equal Education has maintained that geographical and spatial transformation must be prioritised in the determination of feeder zones.
“This is particularly important for learners from township schools, who are especially affected by narrow feeder zone determinations.”
Related article:
Parents urged to finalise the admissions process for their children
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