Edu MEC vows to find solutions to school placement debacle
By 21 January, 130 of the 348 learners who still needed to be placed at schools in Polokwane, had been accommodated. Education MEC, Polly Boshielo says according to her there is no child from Polokwane that has not been placed
POLOKWANE – This was confirmed by the Education MEC, Polly Boshielo during a community meeting of the ANC’s Ike Maphoto Branch (ward 21), at Masana Lodge.
The lack of space in schools recently overshadowed the start of the 2020 academic year.
Read more: Parents resort to ‘desperate measures’ to get their plea heard
Boshielo acknowledged the space problem, but added that “there is a level of dishonesty from the community”.
“Most of the learners who had not been placed, had applied at schools in the city, while they reside in Mankweng, Seshego and the outskirts of town, where they are schools that can cater for them.”
These parents, they say, have been allowed by residents in the city to use their particulars such as their physical address, when filling in the learners’ application forms.
“These applicants don’t come from the city’s feeder areas, but you let them use your particulars and when the problem arises, you look to us to fix it,” she said.
“As far as we are concerned, there is no child from Polokwane that has not been placed.”
Boshielo explained that 180 of the 348 learners who had not found a place in a local school at the start of the year, resided outside of the city’s feeder zones.
“Parents waiting for their children to be placed, want them placed in specific schools and when an alternative school is suggested, they decline this option, insisting on the school of their choice.”
First preference, according to policy, is given to learners who reside in a school’s immediate area, she said.
To help alleviate the problem of a school shortage, land has been made available next to Laerskool Piet Hugo with the aim of using mobile classes.
“The challenge faced now is to get teachers, desks and chairs. The mayor has given us that land. When I met with the district directors, I was told we need 2 000 mobile classrooms and my instinct says it would make more sense to simply build schools.”
She said many schools are experiencing overcrowding and that the shortage of infrastructure remained problematic.
“I don’t want to blame anybody, this is the ANC government’s problem. I am not going to grandstand trying to prove that I’m better than anybody else, I am going to take responsibility and find solutions,” Boshielo said.
