Schools tasked with creating catch-up programmes for unplaced learners

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has commissioned principals at schools to develop catch-up programmes to accommodate learners who were unplaced during the start of the 2023 academic year.

This comes after scores of learners in different parts of the region were left without schools, when schools reopened their doors on January 11.
Point in case is learners from different parts of the West Rand, whose disgruntled parents stood outside the Department of Education’s Gauteng West District office on January 10 for hours on end under the scotching sun. This was in effort to get placement for their children, who were left on the side lines.

 Also read: Disgruntled parents of unplaced learners gather outside DOE offices 

As of last week Friday, January 13, a total of 571 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners whose parents and guardians submitted complete applications on the Online Admissions System were still not placed.

This is according to GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona who said that this translated to 97 Grade 1 learners and 474 Grade 8 learners who departmental officials were working towards placing at the time.

Also read: GDE confirms 268 192 Grade 1 and 8 learners already placed for 2023 

“Placement challenges within our identified high-pressure areas – where certain schools received a much higher number of applications than the number of learners they can accommodate – are being attended to through a variety of interventions which will ensure that all learners are placed. To alleviate capacity pressure, the GDE is building satellite schools in high-pressure areas. These are schools which are an extension of certain high-pressure schools, but are built on a different site or geographical area not far from the main school.

“In Johannesburg West, we have already built a satellite school for Florida Park High School, meaning that we will continue to place learners at that school,” said Mabona.

He added that parents who seek to apply for inner grades outside of Grade 1 and Grade 8 are strongly encouraged to visit their nearest GDE District Office after the 10 day head count on January 24.

According to him, this will put the districts in a better position to give parents the necessary assistance they need for placement as available spaces at schools would have been determined at that stage.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said they apologise for any inconvenience.

“Our team is working around the clock to ensure that all learners are placed. We appeal with all parents and guardians to allow these processes to take place as they will result in the successful placement of their children. We profusely apologise for the inconvenience caused and we extend our best wishes to all learners and teachers for the 2023 academic year,” said Chiloane.