Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane. Picture: Gauteng Education Department
The Gauteng Department of Education has extended the deadline for parents to apply for grade one and eight placements in public schools.
Speaking during a media briefing on Sunday, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane indicated he was aware of complaints from parents about the system being down on 9 and 10 August.
“We were approached by a number of parents who said they were struggling to upload and complete their applications so it was an issue.
“They were able to resolve it by the 10th, but what that meant is that parents had lost two days,” he said.
Chiloane said parents will have seven days from the 14 August closing date to hand in all necessary documentation.
“All parents by that time should have completed all their applications by 21 August. Proof of home address and all of them must be submitted by that date,” he said.
The MEC stated the documents included proof of address, their children’s immunisation card and previous report, among others.
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He said over 700 000 applications for placement had been received at this stage.
“We appreciate the confidence that parents continue to show in public education. We are pleased to announce that we have had over 768 666 applications.”
Chiloane pointed out that parents would start getting reply backs from the department from 16 September.
“Parents will start getting placement offers and this will continue until the last learner. What we ask from parents is patients with this issue of placements,” he said.
Chiloane further outlined how the placements work.
The MEC said the criteria included home address of the learner, siblings and previous school, work address within the school feeder-zone, 30km radius and beyond the 30km radius.
“The most critical one is home address and that is the one that we will be working with.”
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He added that there were more applications than capacity at 310 high schools.
“If none of those schools that you have chosen you were successful, we will then make you a transfer offer,” Chiloane continued.
Almost 100 000 applications had not been completed.
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