Parents struggling to get children placed in schools is ultimately affecting the children.
Tanya Brown, a Florida North resident and mother of two explained that her daughter moved back home after going to school in Cape Town for a year. She said her daughter was part of the Top 10 academic achievers at her school, however, when she tried to have her enrolled at a school in Roodepoort, she was informed she had to go to the district office of the Department Of Education. Brown took a half day off work on January 25, with her leave already depleted due to the December holidays.
She continued after being sent from pillar to post at the district’s offices, she was informed all the schools were full and there was a two-year waiting list for the area schools by one of the employees at the offices. However, another employee mentioned this was not the case. She further mentioned no one could answer her questions at the offices nor when her daughter would be placed in a school.
“My daughter is asking me, ‘mom when am I going to school’? She wants to go to school and I don’t know what to tell her. I have phoned many times since I was there and there is simply no answer,” said Brown.
She added they took her daughter’s friend with them as she is also not going to school since her father passed away and her mother is not always around, but for her, there were also no answers as to whether she can be helped to get placed into a school.
She noted she was informed she could send her child to a school in Princess, however, she won’t be able to afford the transport costs to and from Princess every day as she works in Marshalltown.
“I was not the only parent that was there; there was a whole room full of people waiting. We lost a half day of work and we left without even a little bit of hope that our children will be placed in a school,” exclaimed Brown.
On January 31 she still had not heard anything about her daughter being placed in a school.
Questions have been sent to the Department of Education’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, and as soon as comment is received an update will be given.
