Lesufi responds after brother and sister stage sit-in outside Northcliff High School

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has responded to a tweet claiming two pupils have been denied enrolment at Northcliff High School.

Mojalefa Letswalo (14) and his sister Modjadji (13) are holding a sit-in at the school after being denied enrolment.

The siblings are protesting against a system glitch preventing them from attending classes.

A tweet by the Blessing Ramaoba, President of Mining Forum of South Africa (MFSA), claims that the Letswalo siblings were not allowed to study at Northcliff High because their parents are currently unemployed.

“It’s reported that they wake up every morning to go to school and study outside the school. Please retweet until the department of education intervenes,” tweeted Ramaoba.

Lesufi responds to tweet

Lesufi responded to the tweet by Ramoba by stating the children were offered a place in another school.

“We offered an alternative school for the kids. Unfortunately the family declined the offer and wanted the learners to be admitted at a school with almost 453 learners on the waiting list,” he tweeted.

Lesufi said the department will continue to facilitate assistance to the family.

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Children not placed at school

Northcliff High School principal Walter Essex-Clark, in a letter sent to parents of the school, said the Letswalo siblings are not currently enrolled at the school.

“The children were placed in grade 8 at Ferndale High School by the Department of Education at the beginning of the year. The parent refused to take the children to Ferndale High and as an act of defiance, she dressed her children in the Northcliff High uniform and arrived at Northcliff at the start of Term 2. Through her actions, she is denying her children their grade 8 education,” said Essex-Clark.

The principal said the children have not been refused admission to Northcliff High based on the parent’s ability to pay fees, but rather the result of their position on the online admissions system.

“Simply put, there were many learners ahead of her children who qualified for admission before the school reached capacity. The Department of Education has given the instruction that the parent is not to be allowed onto the school premises,” he said.

Essex-Clark said the Gauteng Education Department is dealing with the matter and that the school will only be taking instructions from the department.