2015 school admissions begin
JOBURG - Registration of pupils for the 2015 academic year has kicked off at public schools around the province.
Only months after the school year began, the Gauteng Department of Education launched the Public Schools – Admission Campaign in a bid to encourage parents to apply for admission early.
“There is high demand for space in Gauteng schools,” said MEC for Education Barbara Creecy. “We have over 2 000 public ordinary schools that accommodate 1.9 million learners. Apply early so that we can accommodate you.”
From 7 April parents who want to register their children for admission into Grade 1 or 8 in a Gauteng public school in 2015, can collect an application form from their nearest school.
These application forms should be returned to the school as from 15 April to 27 May 2014.
Creecy explained that applying early, enabled the department to plan for the number of children who were entering the system and allowed parents to secure a school that was closer to their place of work or residence.
“This also provides the department with ample time to plan adequately, knowing the number of learners coming to schools in 2015, and ensuring that the right amount of school infrastructure, learner and teacher support material and furniture is allocated to schools,” Creecy added.
The department processed more than 20 000 late applications for the 2014 academic year, an increase from 15 000 from the previous year.
“We once again urge parents to work with us to ensure all our schools are ready to operate from the first day of school in 2015,” said Creecy.
Parents who will be applying for a place in a school will need to provide a completed application form, the child’s birth certificate (or a certified copy), at least one parent’s identity document, proof of residence or work address, the child’s immunisation card (for Grade 1) and latest school report card.
Legal immigrants will also need to provide study permits, while refugees and asylum seekers must produce asylum documents.
The department advised that when registering their children, parents must ensure that schools provide them with a waiting list number.
This waiting list number will indicate if the applicant is on waiting list A (for parents within a feeder area of a school) or waiting list B (parents outside of a feeder area of a school).
Pupils that are not in entry grades (grades 1 and 8) also need to re-enrol.
